Tour of Britain cycle race to pass through South Yorkshire this September

The Tour of Britain is a multi-day cycle race on the roads of Great Britain, first held in 1945.

The race is televised nationally and internationally, and this year is set to take place between September 1-8.

The competitors will start in Glasgow and finish in London, and one stage is proposed to take place in South Yorkshire – starting in Sheffield, travelling through Rotherham and Doncaster, and finishing in Barnsley.

The route is currently being finalised, but a ‘significant part’ of the stage will be hosted on Barnsley’s roads on September 5.

A report to Barnsley Council, who propose to spend £130,000 to host the finale of the stage, states: “Barnsley’s wonderful landscape and key tourist attractions will be highlighted as part of the route.”

The council says that the event will lead to ‘significant television and wider media coverage’ for Barnsley, as well as an ‘improved reputation’.

Matt O’Neill, executive director for growth and sustainability at BMBC, said: “We’ve expressed an interest in bringing part of this year’s

Tour of Britain cycle race to Barnsley. Nothing has been agreed yet, but we are asking the new Barnsley Town Board to consider allocating £130,000 of the £20m allocated to Barnsley over the next ten years to fund the costs of this event.

“Our intention in proposing this investment is to attract visitors to Barnsley and showcase our borough to a wide audience, as the

event is televised internationally. Barnsley’s wonderful landscape and key tourist attractions would be highlighted as part of the route.

“The Barnsley Town Board includes representatives of businesses and other organisations across Barnsley, and they will discuss in detail

all the benefits and potential impacts of the race before coming to a decision.”