What we know so far about the Tour of Britain cycle race coming to Sunderland ahead of route announcement

The event will feature Olympic, world and Tour de France champions.

Route details have yet to be revealed for the event, as organisers finalise how the race stages will look.

But this is what we know so far:

Sunderland will host Stage Three

The race is coming to Sunderland on Tuesday, September 6, for Stage Three of the event – the first one this side of the border.

It is named simply ‘North East of England and Sunderland’.

The Stage Three finish line looks set to be in Sunderland

Organisers have revealed the basic outline of the route for September's race, which will again bypass London as it travels from Aberdeen, through Scotland to the south coast via Sunderland, Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset.

The stage is called ‘North East of England AND Sunderland’ rather than ‘to Sunderland’, so there is some wiggle room.

But with the race heading south from Scotland and Stage Four starting down the coast in Redcar on September 7, Sunderland seems most likely to host the finish line.

Where might feature on the route?

On the announcement the Tour of Britain race was coming to Sunderland, Sunderland City Council leader Graeme Miller said it would be a great chance to “showcase our fabulous city”.

No details have yet been given, but the city’s coastline at Roker and Seaburn would make an impressive backdrop to the race.

The Northern Spire bridge would also make for an impressive entry into the city from the south, with its access roads making for a lovely wide, smooth ride for the competitors.

Or it is possible the race could come in from the west and pass Penshaw Monument.

If city leaders have any say, they will no doubt be keen to highlight regeneration projects including Riverside Sunderland and the work going on around Keel Square.

Where else will be on the North East leg?

Looking at previous events, the race could start from just about anywhere in the region.

Stages tend to be around 100 miles long and organisers happily hop around the map, so there is plenty of scope.

Possibilities include taking in the beauty of the Northumberland coast, crossing the Tyne Bridge at Newcastle, and the scenic Coast Road from South Shields.

Or organisers may decide on a more inland start, finishing at the coast.

The 2019 race included a stage from Gateshead to Kendal, and 2021 featured a Carlisle-to-Gateshead leg.

Will the event be on television?

Live coverage of the race will be shown daily in the UK on ITV4, and broadcast around the world.

Will it be free to watch?

Spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, with around 1.5million people expected to turn out over the eight stages of the race.

There are race day also hospitality packages which offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences.

Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.

What are the other stages of the race?

The full list of stages as given so far is:

Stage one: Sunday, September 4 - Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire

Stage two: Monday, September 5 - Scotland

Stage three: Tuesday, September 6 - North East of England and Sunderland

Stage four: Wednesday, September 7 - Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire

Stage five: Thursday, September 8 – Nottinghamshire

Stage six: Friday, September 9 – Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire

Stage seven: Saturday, September 10 – Dorset

Stage eight Sunday, September 11 – Isle of Wight

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