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Tour of Britain

Hill-top finishes at glenshee ski centre.

Aberdeen is only the third Scottish city to host the start of the race, and we were honoured that the hill-top finished here at Glenshee Ski Centre. Not only did the stage feature an entirely new route it also included the first-ever opening day summit finish travelling along the 4.8% gradient climb along the The Old Military Road to Glenshee Ski Centre.

• Stage one  | Sunday 4 September | Aberdeen to Glenshee Ski Centre

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Tour of Britain 2022 Route stage 1: Aberdeen - Glenshee Ski Centre

Aberdeen never before hosted the Big Start of the Tour of Britain. After leaving Aberdeen city centre the riders head in northwesterly on a lumpy route. After moving through Kennethmont, just south of Huntly, the route turns south. Three climbs stand out in the first half of the race – Bennachie Forest (1.2 kilometres at 5.4%), Lord’s Throat (1 kilometre at 8.2%), and Suie Hill (1.9 kilometres at 8.7%).

Yet, the most important uphill action is saved for last. The climb up to the finish in Glenshee Ski Centre is 9.1 kilometres long and the average gradient sits at 4.8%.

Last year’s Tour of Britain finished in Aberdeen. Wout van Aert sprinted to triumph and took the GC, 6 seconds ahead of Ethan Hayter. By the way, the Belgian star also won the 1st stage in Bodmin.

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 1 .

Another interesting read: results 1st stage 2022 Tour of Britain.

Tour of Britain 2022 – stage 1: route, profile, more

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Tour of Britain 2022 stage details revealed

A hill-top finish at glenshee ski centre and lap of the borders will offer up the perfect start to the 2022 tour of britain, which returns for what promises to be a groundbreaking 18 th modern edition in september..

Building on the success of last year’s race, which saw the overall lead change hands five times in eight days, the battle for victory in the 2022 edition (Sunday 4 – Sunday 11 September) looks set to go down to the final pedal strokes once again.

Aberdeen will become just the third Scottish city to host the start of the race when the Tour of Britain’s most northerly Grand Départ to date takes place there on Sunday 4 September. Not only will this stage feature an entirely new route compared to last year’s finale in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, it will also include the first-ever opening day summit finish in modern race history. The Old Military Road climb from Auchallater to Glenshee measures 9.1 kilometres long, with the final five kilometres averaging a gradient of 4.8%.

The Scottish Borders will host a full stage for the second time in three editions on day two of this year’s race, with Hawick the starting point of stage two. The race’s eighth visit to the Borders will feature a mix of roads old and new to the event, before a first-ever finish in Duns. The stage winner will be crowned in the shadow of the Jim Clark Motorsport Museum, which celebrates the two-time Formula 1 world champion who lived nearby.

The race then ventures south into English for stage three, which takes place between Durham and Sunderland, before making it’s way further and further south, finishing on the Isle of White on Sunday 11 September.

This year’s Tour of Britain will comprise the following stages:  

Stage one        Sunday 4 September              Aberdeen to Glenshee Ski Centre

Stage two        Monday 5 September             Hawick to Duns

Stage three     Tuesday 6 September            Durham to Sunderland

Stage four       Wednesday 7 September       Redcar to Duncombe Park, Helmsley

Stage five        Thursday 8 September           West Bridgford to Mansfield

Stage six         Friday 9 September                Tewkesbury to Gloucester

Stage seven    Saturday 10 September          West Bay to Ferndown

Stage eight      Sunday 11 September            Ryde to The Needles

On the unveiling of this year’s route, Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said:

“As promised when we unveiled the Tour of Britain’s host regions in February, this year’s race features a number of surprises, none more so than hill-top finishes to start and end the eight days of world-class competition. Creating a route that encourages aggressive racing and brave tactics from day one will enhance the reputation of the race, leave the one million plus spectators watching on in person for free with long-lasting memories, showcase the stunning beauty of our host venues, and repeatedly entertain a worldwide audience.”

Of the two stages in Scotland, Scottish Cycling’s CEO, Nick Rennie, commented:

“It’s fantastic to see two stages taking place in Scotland once again, and as an Aberdonian myself, and delighted to see the city of Aberdeen host the Grand Depart for the first time in history. We will be making the most of this occasion by hosting the Scottish National Criterium Championships on the closed city centre roads, in what looks set to be a real festival of cycling.

“Stage two in the Borders, which has hosted this famous race a number of times before, will be no less exciting, showcasing the area’s natural beauty, and I have no doubt we’ll see a whole host of local clubs out roadside, cheering on the riders. With the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships just 11 months later, this really is a special time for cycling in Scotland and we can’t wait to welcome the Tour of Britain once again.”

While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.

ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch wherever they are. The race will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.

Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout Van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall. A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline.

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Tour of Britain: Glenshee confirmed as summit finish for Aberdeen stage

Details of this year’s Tour of Britain cycle race have been revealed, with the route featuring a “first-ever” hill-top finish at an Aberdeenshire ski centre.

The Aberdeen to Glenshee Ski Centre route will be the most northerly departure to date in the history of the prestigious race.

Aberdeen will become the third Scottish city to host the start of the race when the world-class cyclists take to the roads on September 4.

The Old Military Road climb from Auchallater to Glenshee measures 5.6 miles long, with the final three miles averaging a climb of 4.8%.

It is an entirely new route compared to last year’s finale from Stonehaven to Aberdeen – which was the farthest north the peloton race had ventured.

Crowds lined the streets in Stonehaven and along the notorious Cairn O’Mount climb as 120 cyclists sprinted along scenic Aberdeenshire roads.

Thousands turned out at Aberdeen Beach to watch Wout van Aert sprint across the finish line .

The final leg of the race pumped more than £1 million into the north-east economy , with many spectators travelling to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to watch the world’s best cyclists.

‘Iconic climb’ to the finale

Aberdeen City Council has more activities planned to mark the “grand depart” this year, describing it as an “bigger spectacle” likely to draw in even more visitors.

Aberdeenshire Council’s chief executive Jim Savege said last year’s event had helped promote the region to a global audience, while also showcasing the region as a “wonderful cycling destination”.

He added: “We are ready to give these elite riders and their teams another warm north-east welcome in September and trust they will relish the challenging route we once again have in store for them. As a keen cyclist myself, I am convinced the spectacular finish at the Glenshee Ski Centre will be something the likes of which the teams won’t experience anywhere else.”

Chris Foy, chief executive of VisitAberdeenshire, said: “Hosting the grand depart of this prestigious event will enhance the north-east’s profile as one of the country’s emerging cycling destinations. National TV coverage will turn a spotlight on our majestic landscape from the heart of the Granite city to an iconic climb to the finish at the Glenshee ski station in the spectacular East Cairngorms.

“We look forward to building on the momentum gathered in 2021 as spectators come out in force along the route to cheer on some of the sport’s top names and support local businesses at the same time.”

Where does the tour go after Glenshee?

The second stage will take place in the Borders, starting in Hawick and finishing in Duns. The endurance race will then move to England for the remaining six stages.

Mike Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said this year’s race features a number of different routes.

He said: “As promised when we unveiled the Tour of Britain’s host regions in February, this year’s race features a number of surprises, none more so than hill-top finishes to start and end the eight days of world-class competition.

“Creating a route that encourages aggressive racing and brave tactics from day one will enhance the reputation of the race, leave the one million-plus spectators watching on in person for free with long-lasting memories, showcase the stunning beauty of our host venues, and repeatedly entertain a worldwide audience.”

The UK’s top cycle race will be broadcasted live at every stage while spectators can watch all the action from the roadside for free.

Race day hospitality packages can be bought online .

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Destination Sport Experiences are the official VIP Experiences partners of the 2022 Tour of Britain, the Women’s Tour and the Tour Series.

The 2022 Tour of Britain will start in Aberdeen, Scotland and finish a week later in the Isle of Wight. A much-anticipated return to Yorkshire and first-ever full stages in Dorset and Gloucestershire will also feature on the route. The host regions for this year’s edition of Britain’s leading cycle race (Sunday 4 – 11 September) combine a return to areas familiar to the Tour with those that will see the free-to-watch event continue to break new ground in 2022.

This year’s Tour of Britain route in full :

• Sunday 4th September : Stage 1 – Aberdeen > Glenshee Ski Centre
• Monday 5th September : Stage 2 – Hawick > Duns
• Tuesday 6th September : Stage 3 – Durham > Sunderland
• Wednesday 7th September : Stage 4 – Redcar > Duncombe Park, Helmsley
• Thursday 8th September : Stage 5 – West Bridgford > Mansfield
• Friday 9th September : Stage 6 – Tewkesbury > Gloucester
• Saturday 10th September : Stage 7 – West Bay > Ferndown
• Sunday 11th September : Stage 8 – Ryde > The Needles

The TV Channel ITV4 will broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage in the UK, as well as a nightly highlights show, and it will also be shown in over 150 countries worldwide.

The Grand Depart in Aberdeen

The Tour of Britain has had a Scottish Grand Départ 7 times before in modern Tour history but this stage will mark the furthest north the race has ever started. Stage one will begin in Aberdeen city centre on Sunday 4th September, 2022. In Aberdeen a full weekend of activities is planned including a 2022 Tour of Britain team presentation event and the Scottish Cycling Criterium Championships.

Final Stage Isle of Wight

The historic seaside town of Ryde will host the start of the final stage of the Tour of Britain on Sunday 11th September. A large crowd is expected to line the route, before a highly anticipated finish at The Needles.

Tour of Britain 2022 - VIP and Hospitality experiences

VIP and Hospitality experiences will be available with us for every stage of the 2022 Tour of Britain. Spend a day on a stage in an official race car, come on our VIP Coach Start to Finish, stay in the team hotels on our tours that follow the race, cross the finish and have your photo taken on the winner’s podium. These are just some of the VIP experiences on offer in September.

Cross the Finish Line Experience with Dan Martin

On our Tour of Britain Cross the Finish Experience, ride the final 25 - 50 kilometres of the day’s course and cross under the official finish line before the waiting crowds. Take photos on the winner’s podium and finish your day in the Finish Hospitality Area to watch the stage finish live. Your host is Grand Tour stage winner Dan Martin.

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Through our partnership with the Tour of Britain, we also offer hospitality experiences for the other races that are organised by Sweetspot; the Women’s Tour and the Tour Series. Contact us if you would like more information.

Stage 1 : Glenshee Ski Centre 

Date : 04 September 2022

Daily itinerary for the Cross the Finish Line Experience

Meet us at the Finish Hospitality area of the day's stage. An area to keep your belongings securely is available for you. Dan will ride with you and you will start your ride from here before riding the final section of the course and crossing under the finish line. A Tour of Britain car will accompany and support you on your ride. Stand on the winner's podium and we'll take plenty of photos. Finish your day with finish hospitality.

Included with your Cross the Finish Experience

• Welcome by Tour of Britain hosts at the Finish Hospitality Area
• Finish VIP hospitality pass
• Ride host Dan Martin
• Guided ride on the course of the day's stage
• Ride support from an official Tour of Britain race car
• Ride across the stage finish line
• Photos on the official winner's podium
• Secure area at the finish to store belongings
• Access to the finish hospitality area with non-stop catering/ open bar
• Live stage broadcast on plasma TV screens

Finish Hospitality

With the ‘Finish Line Tour Enclosure’ hospitality, you’ll enjoy a tasty buffet lunch with a free-flowing open bar, while you follow the race live on the big screens and soak in the awesome atmosphere. You’ll be positioned in prime location close to the finish line, so you’ll be sure to catch all the end of race action and be there first-hand to watch the winner take the podium. Don’t worry…the seating area is covered, so you’ll be protected from the unpredictable UK weather!

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PEZ Roadside Tour of Britain’22 Stage 1: Glorious Glenshee!

Roadside PEZ: We don’t get the chance to go ‘Roadside’ as much as we used to, thanks first to covid-19 and now the soaring fuel costs. Ed Hood had the 2022 Tour of Britain on his door-step, if he had a 100 mile long door-step, but you can’t miss a ‘Race Chase’…

# You can read the Stage 1 race report form the Tour of Britain in Monday’s EUROTRASH HERE . #

It’s not every day you get the chance to see some of the sport’s greatest names just up the road from your home. However, as we crawled through a monsoon north of Laurencekirk the question was; ‘will it be worthwhile getting out of the car?’ Fortunately, by the time we got to Union Street it was just drizzle, not cold but grey and understandably not conducive to riders wanting to stand and chat. . .

First stop was the Trinity team, we had wanted a chat with US Criterium Champion and Lincoln GP winner, Luke Lamperti but like most, he was keeping cosy in the camper until the last moment. Now, those Trinity Specializeds with the pink seat posts and green lettering – a tad, ‘too Rapha’ for old hands like us.

None of that trendy stuff for those Bingoal-Pauwels-Sauces WB ProTeam boys; nice machines though from cult Italian company, De Rosa – Ugo De Rosa was the man who taught Eddy Merckx about frame building after the Baron had retired as a rider and was staring his bike business.

‘Punching above their weight’ ProTeam, Uno X ride Taiwanese ‘DARE’ frames, they’re your typical Far Eastern proposition but claim to offer excellent value by cutting out the middle men and selling direct from the factory.

We liked the understated paint job on BORA-hansgrohe’s Specialized, no pink there. . .

Equipe continentale Groupama-FDJ man, Sam Watson steps up to the World Tour next year; this year he’s the won the u23 Gent-Wevelgem, stages in the Course de Paix and Tour Alsace as well as a raft of podiums – he’s riding here for the GB team. His Lapierre displays their ‘triple triangle’ design frame, it’s not new, Lotto rode GT frames to this design some 20 years ago – and even before that English builder, Hetchins produced a frame to the same configuration, the idea being that it gives a much stiffer frame than the traditional twin triangle design.

Long term Campagnolo adherents, Movistar have jumped ship to SRAM, probably because SRAM supply components to the big teams on a free of charge basis whilst Campagnolo and Shimano require the groupsets to be bought at ‘cost’ price – unless you’re INEOS, that is. . .

US team Human Powered Health, formerly Rally Cycling, ride Felts; Jim Felt started the company back in 1994 and they’re one of the original ‘aero’ bike pioneers – and we do like a bit of orange on a machine. The front thru axle doesn’t require an Allen key, you just twist the lever – like those 60’s ‘butterfly’ wing nuts.

Calum Johnston’s Caja Rural team ride Spanish [naturally] MMR frames, we love the paint jobs.

ProTeam Bardiani-CSF-Faizane caused a huge upset back in June when their 23 years-old Filippo Zana took the Italian Elite Road Race Championship ahead of the World Tour favourites – Team BikeExchange have snapped him up for the next three years. We liked his Cipollini, not ‘overly blinged.’

Ribble supplied any of their riders who were competing in the Commonwealth Games with ‘trick’ silver paint job specials, this one belongs to Grenada road race and time trial champion, Red Walters.

Ribble are far from out of their depth in terms of bike design, even in the presence of the World Tour teams – their ‘direct mount’ brake levers are cutting edge aero.

Perennial Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise are backed by the Flanders Government so that young riders can learn their trade then move up to a higher level; breakaway king Thomas De Gendt just one of the top riders who came up through their ranks. An as you might expect, ‘no bling’ – those black Merckx machines are just tools to do a job.

As I said, it wasn’t a day for chatting but we managed a brief word with Ribble Weldtite’s Commonwealth Games Road race medallist, Fin Crockett – looking focused on what wasn’t going to be a day for his characteristics.

I’ve shed a bit of timber recently, you feel quite pleased with yourself and then you look at Filippo Zana’s waistline. . .

It’s been a great year for Oscar Onley; today he rides with their World Tour team alongside the likes of their big finisher, Cees Bol. Oscar took a stage win in the ‘shop window’ Valle d’Aosta stage race in Italy, also winning the points jersey and was second on a stage and top 10 on GC in the Sazka Tour against top opposition. He finished eighth up on Glenshee, today – CHAPEAU!

We weren’t ‘ear wigging’ but couldn’t help but hear Calum Johnston chatting away in fluent Spanish with his team personnel – nice job, young man.

The rollout was WET.

We headed up out along Deeside to see the race on the road; those with long memories will remember that back in 1974, TI Raleigh pro, Dave Lloyd broke the British ‘straight out’ 50 mile time trial record heading along towards Aberdeen on this road after starting up where the race finished today. Modern aerodynamic improvements mean that his time is now minutes slower than Marcin Bialoblocki’s 1:30:31 ‘out and home’ competition record.

There were five away in the break, two Human Powered Health, two SunGods and an Uno X. The lead was around a minute on a peloton lead by Israel – we’d see why that was at the finish but displaying no particular sense of urgency.

Uno X were keeping well out of the way, having a man in the break and Norwegian Champion, Rasmus Tiller was way back. The team will be stronger next year with the addition of ‘old warhorse’ but still winning, Alex Kristoff.

Richie Porte was coming back up through the cars in his last ever race after a good career which perhaps promised more than it delivered.

Zana too was coming back through the cars looking COOL.

It was time for us to head over the Cairn o’ Mount and home, the Glenshee road being closed until 6:00 pm; checking the result on the phone we saw the reason for the Israel chase – we’d hear later that Alex Dowsett did a particularly good job – their Kiwi, Corbin Strong took the honours, you’d have got good odds that one. . .

The Borders tomorrow. . .

It was November 2005 when Ed Hood first penned a piece for PEZ, on US legend Mike Neel. Since then he's covered all of the Grand Tours and Monuments for PEZ and has an article count in excess of 2,150 in the archive. He was a Scottish champion cyclist himself - many years and kilograms ago - and still owns a Klein Attitude, Dura Ace carbon Giant and a Fixie. He and fellow Scot and PEZ contributor Martin Williamson run the Scottish site www.veloveritas.co.uk where more of his musings on our sport can be found.

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When it rains it pours - A wrong turn for Tour of Britain convoy and field

Brexit, World Championships and COVID-19 affected number of WorldTour teams competing, says race director Bennett

As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. Racing Sunday’s Tour of Britain opener through a yellow weather warning in Aberdeenshire was always bound to mean trouble.

First, live TV coverage was delayed by the adverse weather for 90 minutes as powerful wind at the broadcast compound at the finish line meant a delay in erecting the necessary hoists.

During this hiatus in a downpour, the peloton briefly went off course on the outskirts of Inverurie, 25 kilometres into the 180km stage between Aberdeen and Glenshee Ski Centre. Although, like a tree falling in a forest, if there’s no TV coverage to show it, did it really happen?

“The organisers sent us the wrong way,” said Ineos Grenadiers rider Magnus Sheffield at the finish. “Fortunately, I was able to catch on as I’d just flatted on my front wheel. I was actually a bit happy I got to come back a bit easier.”

Corbin Strong wins Tour of Britain opener at Glenshee Ski Centre summit Tour of Britain 2022 Preview - A hilly profile for home favourite Pidcock Tom Pidcock opts out of Worlds in Australia due to racing and training fatigue

“It was only three or four hundred metres, but it was really funny. I was coming through the cars and it seemed like everyone looked super confused,” he said.

The delay was several minutes, with some riders taking the opportunity for a natural break before resuming on the right way to Glenshee Ski Centre, where Corbin Strong (Israel Premier Tech) outsprinted Omar Fraile (Ineos Grenadiers) to take victory.

Their respective teammates Michael Woods and Tom Pidcock are among the favourites in a competitive field, though there are noticeably fewer WorldTour squads at the UCI-rated 2.Pro race than in recent years. 

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Ten lined up in 2019; this year, there are five. Regular attendees Jumbo-Visma and QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl, who have provided past champions Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe, are notable absentees.

“There’s many, many multiple factors,” race director Mick Bennett told Cyclingnews at the start of stage 1 in Aberdeen. “The World Championships is within five days of the final day of this race.” 

“Brexit hasn’t helped. The queues at Dover haven’t helped,” he added. Every team crossing onto British soil requires a stamped ATA Carnet, an international customs document permitting the temporary import of goods. It needs to be stamped before entering the country. Each visiting pro cycling team is obliged to list every item they are bringing and assign a value to it. Most teams come with approximately £40,000 worth of equipment.

Continental squad Team Qhubeka had an especially trying journey. After driving from their Italian base, their mechanics spent a whole day in Dover because their document was not stamped in Calais. “Big, big problems. It was a bit difficult to get here,” their directeur sportif Simone Antonini said.

Compounding the packed autumn racing schedule, as the race coincides with the Canadian WorldTour one-day races and the Vuelta a España , squads are also stretched especially thin due to COVID-19 positives for riders or staff. 

“The WorldTour teams have got 24 cases at the Vuelta, so they can’t do quadruple programmes. That’s a question you’ve got to ask the UCI, but those are the main reasons,” Bennett said.

Nevertheless, the experienced organiser is looking forward to an exciting edition of the Tour of Britain. “I think the real decider will be [stage 4 to] Duncombe Park and Carlton Bank. That’ll be the sorting out,” Bennett said of this year’s course, referring to the hilly final 30 kilometres on that day.

“I think it’d be unusual for a team like Ineos or Israel, who’ve got strong riders in it, to dominate from day one. You’ve got to defend it for seven days.”

The final stage is on the Isle of Wight for the first time in race history, with a short transfer by ferry before an uphill finish on The Needles. It promises to be an exciting denouement and a logistical test. 

“We’ve had many discussions about how we’re going to manage the Isle of Wight,” Bennett said. “To have a finish on the Needles on a road that’s one and a quarter metres wide for one and a half kilometres, where you can’t have team cars.” 

The race for the overall went down to the wire last year, with Wout van Aert overhauling Ethan Hayter by winning the final stage into Aberdeen. “That would be fantastic, but I think and I hope it’ll be decided by then, which makes the race on the road easier for us,” Bennett said, smiling.

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Formerly the editor of Rouleur magazine, Andy McGrath is a freelance journalist and the author of God Is Dead: The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling’s Great Wasted Talent

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