Tour of Britain Isle of Wight route

Promising an exciting sporting spectacle against a stunning Island backdrop, it will be culmination of racing for the teams who start in Aberdeenshire on September 4, making their way to the Island for the eighth and final stage.

More than 100 of the world’s best road riders will push off from Ryde Esplanade mid-morning on Sunday 11 September — the start of a gruelling 150km race across the Island including more than 5,900ft of climbing.

A particular highlight will be the steep spiralling hills in and out of Ventnor. Fast hair pin declines down to the beach and almost vertical corkscrew climbs back out of the town, often with gradients of 1 in 4, will see riders tested to their very limits and provide captivating viewing.

The approach to the finish line is 39km of hard cycling along the Military Road, often voted one of the most picturesque roads in Europe. The big finale takes places at the National Trust’s Needles Old Battery where riders face the ultimate hair pin climb to the chequered flags.

As well as concluding the Isle of Wight stage of the race, the Needles finish line concludes the 2022 Tour of Britain, deciding both the stage and overall winner.

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: "I know the Isle of Wight stage is going to be a spectacular and fitting finale to this year’s Tour of Britain.

"Working with our partners on the Island, we’ve designed a route that visits the main towns, shows off its culture and history, and makes sure that the battle to be crowned our 2022 champion goes down to the wire.

"I’m already hearing stories of people booking their trips across the Solent for the stage — I have little doubt that, once race fans have seen how great the Isle of Wight is to ride a bike, it will become a go-to destination for cyclists of all ages and abilities!"

The Isle of Wight Council is working closely with Visit Isle of Wight to help local businesses on the route to maximise the benefits of hosting such a prestigious event.

Councillor Julie Jones-Evans, Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, said: "We’re so proud to be hosting the final of the country’s most prestigious cycle race event right here on the Isle of Wight.

“Wherever you are on the Island you won’t be far from the route, and hopefully that will mean we have great crowds out to support some of the world’s top professional cyclists.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the stunning landscapes of the Island as a top class cycling and holiday destination, as well as providing a stern test for the riders in what will be a challenging finale.

"The Isle of Wight Council has played a leading role in bringing the Tour of Britain to the Island and we are encouraging local communities to get involved – for example, by decorating their town or village to show their support or arranging a special community event.

"It will be particularly exciting for our children and young people to see the cycling elite in the place that they live, and to show off the area to countries who watch around the world. What could be more inspiring for our children than to see the professionals on their own doorstep?

"Let's make the most of this event to show how fabulous the Island is to the world and have fun at the same time — that's a win win!"

For most of the route, a rolling road closure will be in place. This means the roads will only be closed temporarily, usually between 15 and 40 minutes ahead of the race passing through. A video explaining how the rolling road closure will work is available here: https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/race/road-closure/ 

Additional on street parking restrictions will be introduced along the route for the duration of the race and further detailed information will be made available in due course.

Further information is available here: https://www.iow.gov.uk/council/OtherServices/Tour-of-Britain/Event

For more information on the Tour of Britain, visit: https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/

How to become a Tour of Britain sponsor

With the Tour of Britain coming to the Island for the first time in its modern history, thousands of spectators are expected to come over from the mainland to watch the final stage.

There is a once in a lifetime opportunity for business and brands to partner with this world class, global event through many different sponsorship packages.

For more information on how your business can get involved please contact sports.unit@iow.gov.uk or jonathanD@thetour.co.uk