Stage Five of the UK’s most prestigious men’s cycling race, The Tour of Britain, will start and finish in Felixstowe, Suffolk, home of the largest container port in the UK, it was announced today (30th June).
This stage will mark Suffolk’s first appearance in the men’s Tour of Britain since 2017 and it’s first time as stage start point.
Lasting for eight days the Tour begins in Greater Manchester on 3rd September before arriving in Suffolk on Thursday 7th September.
With a worldwide television audience of 30.7 million and 1.4 million roadside spectators, Britain’s largest free-to-attend sporting event contributes around £19 million to the UK economy.*
The Tour attracts the world’s top teams and riders and the likes of Mark Cavendish, Geraint Thomas, Primoz Roglic, Julian Alaphilippe, Wout Van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Dumoulin, Caleb Ewan and Tom Boonen have all competed and enjoyed success in the event.
To amplify the anticipation surrounding the reveal, a social media teaser campaign has been running throughout the week. Each day, revealing a different landmark on the route with imagery projected onto three iconic Suffolk landmarks. The majestic Orwell Bridge, historic Framlingham Castle, and an Apache helicopter at Wattisham Airbase have all been featured.
Karen Chapman, Partnership Manager at Suffolk Growth said:
“We are thrilled to showcase the full route of the Tour of Britain through the engaging and innovative approach of our social media campaign. The projection mapping onto Suffolk’s landmarks has generated tremendous excitement. This event is a fantastic opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate this world-class cycling event in our beautiful county.”
The event not only promotes a healthy and active lifestyle but also boosts tourism, providing a platform for showcasing the natural beauty and heritage of the host regions.
Mick Bennett, Race Director, Tour of Britain.
“The build-up by our partners in Suffolk and Motion Mapping has been inspiring and really built up the excitement for this route reveal. It has been great to see famous locations in Suffolk illuminated with the Tour of Britain brand and we now look forward to lighting up the county with some exciting racing from the world’s best teams and riders in September”
Motion Mapping spokesperson Sharon Head, said:
“As a Suffolk-based company we are thrilled to be sponsoring the Tour of Britain, Suffolk stage,” “We look forward to working with the organisers and promoting the event in the coming weeks, showcasing Suffolk.”
Ross Ovens, ScottishPower Renewables’ Managing Director for the East Anglia Hub offshore windfarms, said:
“We’re very proud to be part of this stage of the Tour of Britain, which will shine a light on Suffolk’s fabulous towns, villages, coastline and countryside not just to those elite riders taking part, but to everyone watching across the county and at home.
Our Suffolk offshore wind projects will not only help power a cleaner and greener future for us all, but they will also ensure we are part of the Suffolk community for decades to come. So, as a responsible developer and a good neighbour – and a keen cyclist myself – it’s fantastic to team up with Suffolk Growth and the Tour of Britain to celebrate all that Suffolk has to offer through this spectacular sporting event.”
(*Official 2019 Tour figures)
