With Edinburgh and the Borders set to host Stage One of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, which takes place from the 3rd-10th September, take the time plan your vantage point. Tomorrow, riders will head from Edinburgh’s Royal Mile through East Lothian and into the Scottish Borders with the finish in Kelso.
The 188-kilometre opening leg will also include a 79-kilometre loop in the Scottish Borders, giving fans at the finish in Kelso town centre the opportunity to see the world’s top cyclists in action twice.
The Grand Depart will take place from Edinburgh for the first time, giving fans a unique opportunity to see some of the biggest names in international road racing in action. Alexander Kristoff, Geraint Thomas & Mark Cavendish are among the top names confirmed to cycle #ovotob tomorow.
The Royal Mile
With Stage One starting at 10.30am from outside St Giles Cathedral on the Royal Mile, you’ll need to get into town early to get a good spot. Spectators are being advised to arrive for 9am where you’ll be able to see the teams arrive and sign on. Twenty teams, including ten UCI WorldTour teams, will be presented on the podium – this is something you won’t want to miss!
In addition to promo stands from Tour partners OVO Energy, Oakley and Dare2b, all of the team vehicles will be parked on the High Street and Cockburn Street ahead of the Grand Depart so you might get the opportunity to see your favourite riders warming up.
The Meadows
If the weather is good then head to the Meadows to catch the action. With Stage One using the same loop of roads in the city as the HSBC UK City Ride being staged from 11.00 to 15.00, the Meadows will be another great location to watch the riders as they circuit the park twice before heading towards Duddingston. You can then sign in at the City Ride Cycle Hub is also located within the park.
Duddingston Low Road and Holyrood Park
Spectators here may find themselves on TV as the iconic backdrop of Arthur’s Seat is sure to feature on ITV4’s live coverage.
Join the City Ride
Starting just after the international riders have passed through the city, from 11am-3pm, this safe closed road, family bike ride is an ideal way to get youngsters into the sport or keep yourself fit. Set off from the Meadows and enjoy a traffic-free ride around the streets of Edinburgh.
For more information and to register for your free place, visit: https://www.letsride.co.uk/city-ride/Edinburgh
Further Information
For public transport information you can find bus timetables here and tram timetables here.
Full details of the planned road closures that will be in place for the race can be found here and you can get live traffic updates and road closures for the city on the morning of the race here.
You can find out more about the OVO Tour of Britain here: https://www.ovoenergy.com/
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