MILLIONS of eyes could be focused on Crewe and Nantwich in September with the Tour of Britain scheduled to come through the towns.

 

Britain’s premier cycling event will hit the highways of east Cheshire on Tuesday, September 6, with a challenging leg which takes in the Cat and Fiddle A537 road.

 

The third stage of the tour will do a loop of the borough, going from Congleton to Tatton Park and the route shows the cyclists will go from Crewe to Nantwich via the A534, before heading up to Middlewich using the A530.

 

Top riders such as Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish have competed in the past, but the complete line-up for 2016 will not be known until nearer the event, which starts on September 4, in Glasgow.

 

Newly-elected leader of Cheshire East Council, Cllr Rachel Bailey, said: “We feel truly privileged to be hosting this wonderful spectacle in the borough and delighted that the tour has selected east Cheshire to host this third stage of what is a captivating sporting event.

 

“In east Cheshire we have well more than 200 miles of cycle routes, including 167 miles of National Cycle Network, plus traffic-free routes.

 

“All this is testament to our commitment to promoting this activity for families and to the enthusiasm shown by our residents and cycling clubs.”

 

Revived in 2004 and last seen in Cheshire in 2012, the Tour of Britain will once again be broadcast live on ITV4. There will be three-hours of coverage showing each stage plus a highlights programme.

 

Cllr Sam Gardner, cabinet member for open spaces, said: “Events such as the Tour of Britain and Tour de France have generated huge interest in cycling together with the many other cycling events and tournaments that take place in Britain and abroad.

 

“The success of many of our Olympic and Commonwealth competitors has also stimulated a great following for the sport.

 

“Cycling is big in Cheshire and we anticipate a huge turnout at the roadside. And we are grateful to the Tour for selecting east Cheshire to host this third stage of the event.”

 

Cheshire East Council will be making further announcements about the event and how residents and children can get involved by following the build-up.