The Tour of Britain competitors will head to Nottinghamshire for the fifth stage of this year’s event on Thursday, September 8. Having last ridden on the terrain in 2018, the cyclists will start and finish in the same places as four years ago.
However, the 191km route is different, with the cyclists traversing through Cotgrave, Gedling, Southwell, Retford and Worksop, finally reaching Mansfield via Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest. This is the longest route across the eight days of competition, with three sprints and two climbs on the agenda.
That is despite less than 2,000 metres of climbing being included. Previous winners of the Notts stage include Tom Boonen in 2004, Matteo Trentin in 2015 and Fernando Gaviria in 2017, with British rider Ian Stannard memorably securing a solo victory in 2018.
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Within each stage of the Tour of Britain there are three intermediate sprints sections. This is where riders contest points and time bonuses, inevitably leading to fast and frantic action.
There are also designated King of the Mountain (KoM) sections dotted around the various routes. These are some of the hardest climbs in Britain and represent great places to watch the race as they’re going at a much slower speed.
Riders can earn points towards the SKODA KoM jersey during these climbs. The race is set to start at 10.45am and is expected to finish around 3.25pm.
Here are the designated sprint and climb zones for stage five of the Tour of Britain in Nottinghamshire.
King of the Mountain 1: Keyworth
First up for the cyclists to contend with is a steep climb at Keyworth, just over 20km into the race. The first riders (based on an average speed of 46kph) are expected to arrive here at 11.27am, with the riders continuing to arrive at the foot of the climb until 11.33am (based on a 38kph speed).
This is described as a category three climb, covering 900 metres at 3.4%.
Sprint 1 - Edingley
The first of the sprints is expected to be contested at 1.03pm in Edingley. This is just less than halfway through the stage with riders approaching 90km completion.
Sprint 2 - Retford
Over an hour on from the first sprint, Retford hosts the second sprint at around 2.17pm, although the quickest riders could reach there by 1.57pm.
King of the Mountain 2: Sparken Hill
With lactic acid now truly in the cyclists’ legs, the second King of the Mount climb is sure to be a challenge with the finishing line edging nearer. The Sparken Hill ascent spans 400 metres at 8.5%.
Sprint 3: Clumber Park
Soon after the final climb, the third and final sprint takes place at Clumber Park, with the park inviting visitors to “use designated car parks & bring bikes to enjoy our many cycle routes”. This is within 30km of the finishing line and is a great spot to enjoy a piece of the action.
The full route map and spectator information can be found on the Tour of Britain website.
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