UCI ProSeries AJ Bell Tour Of Britain in Sunderland: Where and when to watch plus road closure info

The 163 km Stage 3 event will see riders from elite teams set off from St Mary's College, Durham at 11.15am, tackle the gruelling North Pennines of Weardale and Teesdale before a sprint finish outside of the City Hall in Sunderland.

The field will include Richie Porte, who finished 3rd in the 2020 Tour de France, riding for INEOS Grenadiers, and two time Tour de France stage winner Dylan Teuns riding for Premier Tech.

Special guest at last week’s launch event was former King of the Mountains, Eddie McGourley, 80, who rode in the 1970 Milk Race – the forerunner to the current Tour.

He said: "There will be a lot of razzmatazz and it will be a fantastic spectacle as they race through the city.”

Councillor Claire Rowntree, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council, added: "We’re tremendously excited to be gearing up for the arrival of the fantastic AJ Bell Tour of Britain Men’s race stage finish coming to Sunderland.

"The Tour is a hugely popular event and it promises to be a brilliant day out for residents and visitors alike. The sheer spectacle of over 100 of the world’s best riders racing through our city will truly be a sight to behold.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our fabulous city to a national and international audience and we hope communities along the route will come out to cheer the riders on."

As the city gears up for the race, ITV4 have confirmed they will be covering the Durham to Sunderland stage which will be broadcast to over 150 countries across the world.

However, if you are planning on getting out and watching the event live, here’s a useful guide with everything you need to know.

Where and when

Riders are expected to enter Sunderland at Moorsley at approximately 3pm where they will then head towards the A690 Board Inn roundabout before following Durham Road towards the city centre, past Barnes Park and Mowbray Park.

The race is expected to finish outside the City Hall at around 3.20pm.

The Sunderland leg is one of eight stages of racing which will start in Aberdeen on Sunday September 4 and finish at The Needles on the Isle of Wight on Sunday September 11.

Where to watch

The event is free to attend and many people will head for the Race Village at Keel Square where riders are expected to arrive at around 3.23pm following completion of the race.

Spectators in the Village will be able to watch the whole race courtesy of two giant screens. There will also be interactive events, catering, entertainment, and it is here where the stage winners will be presented to the crowd.

Another good vantage point could be at the roadside on the 1.3km Skoda King of the Mountains climb at High Moorsley on the outskirts of Sunderland, 20km from the finish line.

Road closures

Hosting such a major event will inevitably also bring some level of disruption with all roads in and around the city which form part of the course being temporarily closed from approximately 2.45pm.

Further afield, once the race pack is near a particular section of road, the road will be closed completely until the race has passed. Once it has passed, the road will be reopened.

Strategic vehicle crossing points will be maintained along the route until the race pack is near. Motorists and spectators can check the progress of the race along with updated estimated arrival times via the AJ Bell Tour of Britain website.

To enable the creation of the course, there will also be extended road closures in and around the city centre on race day. Extended closures are listed below.

- St Mary’s Way will be closed from 6am to 7pm.- St Mary’s car park and Livingstone Road car park will also be closed from 6pm to 7pm. - Wearmouth Bridge will be closed from 1pm to approximately 4.30pm but will remain open for bus routes.- West Wear Street will be closed from 1pm to 4.30pm.

Getting there

With roads closed, public transport offers the best opportunity to take in the final stages of the race from the city centre. Sunderland Railway station is 500 metres from the finish line and is served by trains from Newcastle, Newcastle Airport, Carlisle, Middlesbrough and London King’s Cross.

There will also be Metro trains running to St Peter’s and Park Lane Interchange.

Buses will be running in and out of the city and will be stopping at Park Lane Interchange, just a short walk from Keel Square and the Race Village. For further information, passengers are advised to check the Nexus Tyne and Wear Metro and Nexus bus timetable websites.

Motorists deciding to venture into the city by car are advised to check the Councils website for available parking. The pay and display car park at The Bridges will be open.

SEE ALSO: Teams announced for Tour of Britain as event prepares to ride through Sunderland in September

The Tour of Britain was relaunched in in 2004 after a five year absence and is the country’s “biggest and most prestigious” bike race. Taking place over eight days, it forms part of the Union Cyclist International (UCI) ProSeries, making it one of the most important events on the road racing calendar.

Race Director Mick Bennett, said: "Anticipation is really building. We cannot wait to promote Sunderland to our worldwide TV audience and showcase the spectacular new City Hall. Through our previous visits to the North East we know how passionate and enthusiastic people are when it comes to sport, so I’m sure they’ll turn out in great numbers for this free-to-watch, world-class event."