On Wednesday 7 September, Redcar and Cleveland will host a stage of Britain’s biggest cycling race, namely, Stage 4 of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain.
Kicking off from Redcar’s Esplanade at 11:30am, the cyclists will make their way through Marske, Saltburn, Skelton, Brotton, Carlin How, Loftus and Easington, spending approximately one hour travelling through the borough before heading towards Whitby. More information and a downloadable route, including projected timings, can be found here: https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/stages/stage-four/
The event attracts global cycling superstars including Tour de France winners, Olympic gold medallists and world champions, with each stage being shown across the world via live TV coverage and highlights on ITV4 and Eurosport.
Alongside this first-class, free-to-watch sporting event, a host of community activities and entertainment will also be on offer, details of which will follow.
To get involved and catch the high-speed action coming through our towns and villages, the current projected timings are as follows. Please note, these are a guide only and the race could progress slower or quicker than expected, therefore spectators are advised to arrive early:
11:30 – Start from Redcar Esplanade
11:45 – Start proper along Coast Road
11:47 – Marske High Street
11:49 – Marske roundabout
11:52 – Hilda Place, Saltburn
11:54 - Glenside
11:56 – Guisborough Road
11:59 – Apple Orchard Bank
12:01 – Skelton High Street
12:03/4 – New and North Skelton
12:07 – Brotton High Street
12:09 – Carlin How
12:11 – Loftus Bank
12:16 - Easington
Road closures, parking restrictions and bus suspensions
The race will involve riders cycling along in a peloton - essentially a bubble of cyclists with police and moto-marshal motorcycles at the front and back. For the safety of competitors, a rolling road closure will be implemented and managed by Community Traffic Management and moto-marshals, under the control of the police.
The rolling closure will mean traffic will be stopped for around 25 minutes to allow the ‘bubble’ to pass through safely. Inevitably, this will cause some disruption to those travelling during this time; however, both the traffic management company staff and police will aim to get traffic moving as soon as it is safe to do so.
During certain points in the race, cyclists expect to hit speeds of around 50mph. For this reason, the race route must be kept clear of parked vehicles. The roads used on the route will be covered by a 'Clearway Order' issued by the Highways Department and it is requested that residents and visitors park their vehicles off the race route roads on the day of the race, between the hours of 9am – 3pm.
Affected residents are being contacted directly by post.
To accommodate the start, Redcar Esplanade will be closed to all traffic from 4am – 3pm, with car parking suspended from 00:01, on Wednesday 7 Sept. Residents and visitors are asked to use alternative car parking facilities signed around the town centre.
This will also cause changes to bus services and suspension of bus stops as detailed below:
- During the closure of the Redcar Esplanade, between 4am and 13.30 the bus stops at the Town Clock Stands A, D and E, Regent Walk Shopping Centre Stand G, and the High Street East stops at the Claxton Hotel Stands Q and R will be suspended
- Arriva service 63 will also omit the High Street East stops at The Plimsoll Line Stand P and Moore Street Stand M. It will be available at the Town Clock Stand F, along with the usual service 62 and early morning service 64 journeys.
- Passengers for all buses except service 63 are instead being advised to use the stops at Regent Walk Shopping Centre Stands H and J, and the High Street East stops at Moore Street Stands L and M and The Plimsoll Line Stands N and P
- The 10.35am and 11.05am service X4 journeys from Middlesbrough to Loftus and Whitby, and the 11.34am, 12.04pm and 12.34pm buses from Whitby to Loftus, will be cancelled
- The 10.34am and 11.04am departures from Whitby will operate non-stop via the B1366 and A171 between Loftus and Middlesbrough
- All other services, including Stagecoach Tees Flex, will operate as normal but may be subject to delay if they encounter the rolling road closures.
Full details about the bus timetables changes can be read below:
Some do's and don't's
For everyone’s safety and to assist your enjoyment of the event, there are some do’s and don’ts that spectators are requested to follow:
- Do visit https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/ for up-to-date information and projected race timings
- Do remember the race progresses at a fast pace
- Do plan your journey in advance - some bus services may be suspended or delayed so it is recommended you check with your travel operator prior to making your journey
- Do listen to the marshals; their advice is for your safety
- Do get involved: find out what is happening in your local area, invite your friends and family round, decorate your house/street/shop window or high street
- Do support local businesses
- Do grab a safe spectator spot and arrive early. If you can’t get to a start/finish location, why not find out where your nearest sprint points or steep climbs are?
Please:
- Do not let dogs off leads at any point
- Do not park on the roadside on the race route; find a safe off-the-road position
- Do not stand in the road, even to get a photo; riders can approach at up to 50mph
- Do not allow children to wander off; keep a watchful eye on them so that they can see the riders coming, with you
- Do not cross the road once the lead car has passed; the race will be coming soon - at speed!
Laura Case, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council’s Head of Culture and Tourism, said: “We want to make this event safe, fun and a huge success for our area. We want spectators to be inspired, visitors and viewers to be impressed by what Redcar and Cleveland has to offer and residents to be proud to call this place their home.”
If you have any queries about the event, or how roads or public transport will be affected, please do not hesitate to contact Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council on 01642 774774 or email TOB@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk