On Saturday 11 September some of the world’s top professional cyclists, including recent Olympic medalist Wout van Aert and 34-time Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish, will return to the area.
Stage seven of the 2021 Tour of Britain will start in Hawick and finish in Edinburgh, following an extensive route through the Scottish Borders.
Festival of Cycling fun
Things kick off this weekend though, with the first half of the Cycling Festival in the Park taking place on Saturday from 11am to 3pm in Wilton Lodge Park. The event will be repeated on Sunday 5 September.
There’s an opportunity to come and try the Hawick Community Pump Track, take part in cycle speedway racing, cycle football and find out more about cycling opportunities in and around the town. Live Borders, Cycling UK, Hawick Cycling Club and Cycling Without Age Scotland will all be in attendance.
Young ones will also be able to join in Bookbug sessions, there will be treasure hunts for young people of all ages, and Hawick Museum will be exhibiting the History of Hawick Cycling and the Ken Laidlaw Story.
More information can be found on our website or on the Hawick Festival of Cycling Facebook page.
Councillor Mark Rowley, Executive Member for Economic Regeneration and Finance
“I’d like to pay tribute to all those in the Hawick community that have absolutely embraced the opportunity of the Tour of Britain coming to the Scottish Borders and developed a fantastic range of events in the lead up to the race itself, which the Council and others have been able to support.
“Investing in attracting the Tour of Britain back to the Scottish Borders is part of the Council’s commitment to bringing the highest quality national and international events to the region and delivering long term benefits, in this case both economic and by encouraging all ages to take up or get back into cycling.
“A fantastic and challenging route through some of the Borders’ finest scenery awaits the teams of riders on Saturday 11 September and I hope that local people and visitors will enjoy the day and come out and safely support some of the world’s top cyclists as they race through our towns and villages.”
Stage Seven route
The 195km stage will start in North Bridge Street, Hawick at 10.45am before heading for the Ettrick Valley, via Roberton. The riders will climb up to Berrybush, where King of the Mountain points will be on offer, then race on to Innerleithen for a town centre sprint. After tackling the hills of ‘The Granites’ the riders will cut east to Heriot and race down the A7 to Stow.
More King of the Mountain points will be available as the race climbs out of Stow towards Lauder, where there will then be sprint points available. A further sprint will take place in Duns, before a climb up to Wanside Rig via Ellemford and Cranshaws. The race will then drop down into East Lothian before a sprint for the finish line in Edinburgh city centre, in the shadow of Arthur’s Seat.
Estimated race timings can be found on the Tour of Britain website.
Road closures and parking restrictions will be in place in Hawick, while rolling road closures will operate across the route.
Information and advice for spectators
Spectators planning to watch the race along any part of the route are asked to bear a few key things in mind:
- Have a plan B – if you arrive at any point on the route and find it busy, please be prepared to move on to another location.
- Personal responsibility – only stay at a location if you have space. Consider wearing a mask if it makes you feel safer.
- Give people space – avoid crowded areas, and remember face coverings are advised as they often help others to feel safe too.
- Parking is limited – please only park where parking is available, stick to local parking restrictions and never park on the route. Can you cycle or walk safely to the location where you want to watch the cyclists pass? Consider public transport where possible.
- Respect the safety of the riders – please give them space as they pass along the route. Please note that you will not be able to access the team parking areas at the start and finishes.
ITV4 will screen live coverage of every stage of this year’s Tour of Britain, along with highlights every evening, with many broadcasters from around the world also showing coverage.
About the Tour of Britain
Relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the calendar, the Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days in September.
The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, and attracts a roadside audience of over 1.5m spectators. Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world. The Tour of Britain is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport’s global calendar.
Follow the Tour of Britain on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or via the event’s official website.