Britain's premier cycling event – the Tour of Britain – will hit the highways of Cheshire East in September, with a challenging leg which takes in the Cat and Fiddle A537 road, a steep climb of more than ten kilometres.
Cheshire East residents will be able to watch from close distance, some of the world's most famous riders as they whizz through villages and towns, including Congleton in the south – where the event will start - and Knutsford in the north, where the 182 kilometre stage will finish in the picturesque setting of Tatton Park.
The final route will be announced over the summer after Tour of Britain have checked all the roads but looking at the map of Stage Three it is scheduled to pass through both Wilmslow and Alderley Edge.
Top riders such as Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have competed in the past, but the complete line-up for 2016 will not be known until nearer the event, which starts on September 4th, in Glasgow.
Cheshire East will host stage three of the tour from Tuesday, September 6th, with the race reaching its climax in London on September 11th.
Newly-elected Leader of Cheshire East Council, Councillor Rachel Bailey, said: "We feel truly privileged to be hosting this wonderful spectacle in the Borough and delighted that the Tour have selected Cheshire East to host this third stage of what is a captivating sporting event.
"As a Council we believe passionately in promoting healthy sports such as cycling.
"In Cheshire East we have well over 200 miles of cycle routes, including 167 miles of National Cycle Network, plus traffic-free routes, including the Middlewood Way, Wheelock Rail Trail and Biddulph Valley linear trails.
"All this is testament to our commitment to promoting this activity for families and to the enthusiasm shown by our residents and cycling clubs.
"We hope that this event will inspire many others to take up cycling, whether for sport or leisure."
The stage will include a 10.5 kilometre climb into the Peak District, finishing at the Cat and Fiddle Inn, the second highest public house in England at 515 metres above sea level. It is expected to be one of the toughest parts of the entire eight-day event, another being the climb of Haytor on Dartmoor.
Spectators at the finish line in Tatton Park will get an added bonus as the competitors will complete a mid-stage passage through the park before returning to cross the finish line.
Race director Mick Bennett, said: "Stage three will present spectators with the chance to see the Tour of Britain race on more than one occasion.
"Tatton Park will be one of the best locations for spectators on this year's route.
"Cheshire East offers competitors the gently rolling roads of the Cheshire Plain with some key climbs such as the Cat and Fiddle and we are working with our partners at Cheshire East Council to bring the Tour of Britain to as many of the communities in the Borough as possible."
Councillor Sam Gardner, Cabinet member for open spaces, said: "Events such as the Tour of Britain and Tour de France have generated huge interest in cycling together with the many other cycling events and tournaments that take place in Britain and abroad.
"The success of many of our Olympic and Commonwealth competitors has also stimulated a great following for the sport.
"Cycling is big in Cheshire and we anticipate a huge turn out at the roadside. And we are grateful to the Tour for selecting Cheshire East to host this third stage of the event."
Revived in 2004 and last seen in Cheshire in 2012, the Tour of Britain will once again be broadcast live on ITV4. There will be three-hours of coverage showing each stage plus a highlights programme.
The 2016 Tour of Britain takes place between Sunday, September 4th and Sunday, September 11th and is followed by millions around the world. The final route will be announced over the summer after Tour of Britain have checked all the roads.
Cheshire East Council will be making further announcements about the event and how residents and children can get involved by following the build up.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
SweetSpot Group were also part of the team behind the successful 2007 London Grand Départ of the Tour de France, and are responsible for the creation of the unique, team based Tour Series programme of televised, city centre cycle races, which was created in 2009.
In 2012 SweetSpot, along with partners The London Marathon Ltd, as the London and Surrey Cycle Partnership (LSCP), were awarded the contract to deliver the Olympic legacy cycling event, RideLondon, which took place successfully for the first time in August 2013.
In 2014 SweetSpot launched The Women's Tour, a five-day elite, international stage race taking place in the East of England which in 2016 has been selected to be a founding part of the UCI Women's WorldTour.