Southend-on-Sea will become the latest city to host the Tour of Britain cycle race when the prestigious event heads to the Essex seaside in September.
Over 100 of the world's leading riders will visit the popular coastal location for the start of stage six on Friday 8 September.
Southend-on-Sea has never previously hosted the modern Tour, the 19th edition of which will be shown live in the UK on ITV4 and in over 150 countries worldwide. However, it has a long association with the sport, having hosted stages of the Milk Race in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. More recently, a stage of the Women's Tour - the Tour of Britain's sister race - ran from Shoeburyness to Southend-on-Sea in 2021 and was won by Dutch star Lorena Wiebes.
The stage will take place less than two years after Southend-on-Sea was accorded city status by Her Majesty the Queen. Additionally, Southend Wheelers, a popular local club, is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2023.
Cllr Daniel Nelson, cabinet member for economic growth and investment, said: “I am delighted to announce that once again Southend-on-Sea will welcome world class cycling, having hosted stage four of the Women's Tour in 2021. The Tour of Britain is a prestigious event and will bring over 100 of the world's best cyclists here to our city.
“The Woman's Tour was a massive boost to our city's local economy with an increase in bookings for local hotels and restaurants and look forward to a similar economic uplift with the men's Tour. We cannot wait to welcome the riders to the city as part of this fantastic event that we hope will encourage a new generation of cyclists in the area.”
Stage six will finish in Harlow, which will also welcome the Tour of Britain for the first time in 2023. This follows on from the success of a Women’s Tour stage that took place in the town last year, which was also won by Wiebes.
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “We are delighted to be building upon our relationship with Southend-on-Sea City Council by bringing the men's Tour of Britain to Essex for the first time since 2017. We look forward to the crowds turning out on a Friday morning to see the world's top cyclists in Southend-on-Sea, which, in the year that the great Southend Wheelers turn 100, is a fitting tribute to the club and city.”
Since its return in 2004, the Tour of Britain has become a cornerstone of the UK sporting calendar. Over 15 million people have watched the event in person, with the race generating over £330m for the UK economy to date. Former winners include Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (2018), the two-time world champion, and Belgian star Wout van Aert (2021), while British sporting hero Mark Cavendish holds the record for the most stage victories (10).
Full details of stage six - including the full stage route and timetable - will be announced during July.
The Tour of Britain 2023 will begin in Greater Manchester on Sunday 3 September and culminate eight stages later in South Wales (Sunday 10 September). Along the way the riders will race through Wrexham, East Riding of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk, creating an unforgettable sporting spectacle that is free for all to watch.
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a daily highlights show, allowing fans in the UK to watch the action unfold wherever they are. International coverage will be available in over 150 countries courtesy of Eurosport and GCN+.