Tour of Britain goes live again in 2013

Devon will be showcased to a live worldwide TV audience in September when the tenth anniversary Tour of Britain will be shown live on both ITV4 and British Eurosport.

It will be the first time that both channels will broadcast daily live coverage of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race, building upon ITV4’s successful coverage of the 2012 Tour of Britain, which was the first time the race had been screened live.

The Devon Stage, will be Stage Six of this year’s Tour, covering 85 miles of the county. It will start in Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast and finish at Haytor in Dartmoor National Park. The route also includes SKODA King of the Mountains climbs at Pennsylvania Road on the outskirts of Exeter, Mamhead, and Six Mile Hill on Dartmoor, as well as Yodel Sprints outside Blundell’s School in Tiverton, through Exeter High Street, and also at Chudleigh.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “It is great to see both ITV4 and British Eurosport broadcasting The Tour of Britain this year. It’s a fantastic opportunity for millions of people worldwide to see Devon’s beautiful coast and moorland as well as our communities which will all provide a stunning backdrop to the Stage. Hopefully this exposure will inspire people who watch the coverage to pay us a visit in future to discover what a great cycling county we are.”

Teignbridge District Council Leader Councillor Jeremy Christophers said: “From sea to summit, millions of people across the globe are going to see what we here in Devon already know: This county is a fantastic place to live, work and play. We’re sure those who turn out to watch the Tour will ensure the cameras can see and hear their support for this fantastic race.”

Councillor Ian Thomas, East Devon District Council’s Cabinet Member for Economy, said: “The fact that the 20 September stage of The Tour is starting in Sidmouth and is going via Honiton to Tiverton on its way to Haytor will be a triple bonus for East Devon. Not only will it provide local people with a superb spectacle as a sport that is rapidly gaining the affection of millions of Britons comes to our doorsteps, but it’s also likely to kick-start further local interest in cycling as a healthy lifestyle choice. Third and by no means least, it will provide a welcome boost to the local economy both before and during the event. This is through the on-going tourism that such wide TV coverage is likely to generate and the impact of a global audience seeing what a great place East Devon is to do business.”

Andrew Watson, Head of Recreation, Access and Estates, Dartmoor National Park Authority, said: "With the first summit finish in the modern history of The Tour at Haytor this year, the eyes of the world will be on Dartmoor. We have a great programme of events leading up to the arrival of the riders on the day and hope that those that come and those across the world who watch will be inspired by the outstanding natural beauty of Dartmoor National Park."

In addition to live coverage, ITV4 will continue to broadcast the highly popular daily highlights programmes of The Tour of Britain each evening, as the channel has done since 2008, while British Eurosport will also show highlights every night.

In 2012, The Tour of Britain was shown in 124 countries worldwide to over 288 million homes. Last year’s Devon Stage generated more than £7.3 million in the county in a record breaking year watched by more than 220,000 spectators along the route in Devon. In the past seven years that Devon has featured in The Tour, it has brought in more than £21 million to the local economy.

“We are delighted to once again be able to confirm live television coverage for The Tour of Britain," said Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of race organisers SweetSpot Group.

“The increased coverage in 2013 will ensure that spectators now have a choice of ways to watch The Tour, showcasing our venues, stakeholders and partners to a greater audience than ever before.”

The 2013 Tour of Britain runs from 15 – 22 September, starting in Peebles in the Scottish Borders and ending with an iconic final stage in the heart of London.

For more information on The Tour of Britain, visit: www.southwesttourofbritain.co.uk , www.tourofbritain.co.uk and on Twitter follow @SWTourofBritain.

For information on cycling go to www.cycledevon.info , www.dartmoor.gov.uk , www.teignbridge.gov.uk , www.eastdevon.gov.uk