Midlothian set to welcome Tour of Britain cyclists

The route is among two Scottish stages that will round off the week-long tour.

Rescheduled to 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 17th Tour of Britain, from Sunday, September 5 to Sunday, September 12, will cover more than 1,300km (807miles) in a route that boasts the first overall finish in Scotland since 2008.

Midlothian Council Leader Derek Milligan (Lab) said the cyclists were expected in Dalkeith mid afternoon on the Saturday.

He said: “It’s a fantastic event and a real honour to welcome some of the top riders in the world to Midlothian.

"If you want to go and cheer them on, the best bet is to check out the nearest Sprints or King of the Mountains climbs points along the route, which you can find by visiting the Tour of Britain Stage 7 page on the website at www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages.”

Mark Cavendish, the greatest sprinter of all time, is confirmed as taking part, along with Tokyo 2020 Olympic medalist and six-time Tour de France stage winner Wout Van Aert, who will make his Tour of Britain debut this September.

The race will go ahead subject to local conditions and in line with relevant national guidelines and UCI protocols. Organisers SweetSpot are working closely with EventScotland and all the local authorities along the route in Scotland, including Midlothian, to ensure that the event can take place safely.

A rolling road closure will be enforced on each of the stages. This means roads on and around the race route will be closed for a short period in which it takes the race to pass by – usually about 10 to 15 minutes around the estimated time of arrival and indicated by police escort vehicles.

For the first time in modern Tour history, the race ends with two stages in Scotland. The first, on Saturday 11 September, features a fourth visit to the Scottish Borders in six editions as Hawick plays host to the start for the first time and the stage heads through Midlothian ending in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.

Detailed routes and timetables for the Tour of Britain stages can be found by visiting www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages.