South Yorkshire To Host 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men Stage

The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men will return to South Yorkshire for the first time in almost 20 years this September, as Sheffield and Barnsley gear up to hold the third stage of Britain’s national Tour.

Stage three of the race, on Thursday 5 September, will head from Sheffield to Barnsley, taking in Rotherham and Doncaster during the route. The race last came to South Yorkshire in 2007 when a stage started from Rother Valley Country Park.

This year will mark the first time that a stage of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men has started in Sheffield, with the city having hosted stage finishes on three occasions between 2004 and 2006, while for Barnsley it will be a first visit by the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men.

Commenting on the announcement, British Cycling Events Managing Director, Jonathan Day, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing top-level racing and the joy of cycling to communities across the country in September, with six stages to showcase the very best of Britain’s character and terrain.

“We’re enormously thankful to the local partners who are supporting the delivery of this year’s race, as we look to build on the momentum of June’s successful Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women. I’ve no doubt that their communities will be out in force to welcome the riders, and make it another memorable week of racing to cap off a huge summer of cycling.”

South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard, said: “South Yorkshire is a place that loves a bike race, and even more, loves to welcome the world. We did it when we hosted the Grand Depart in 2017 and with the Tour de Yorkshire in 2017. So I know we will be out in force to cheer on the riders in the Tour of Britain, with thousands of people on the streets cheering the riders on across South Yorkshire.

“From Redmires to Roche Abbey, Conisbrough to Cubley, the South Yorkshire leg will pass through our incredible cities, towns and villages, taking in some of our most beautiful landscapes. The Tour of Britain coming to South Yorkshire is another sign of confidence in our ability to big, exciting things, and in can’t wait for us to be part of it.”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Sheffield is known as the Outdoor City. We pride ourselves on our green space and the wealth of outdoor activities we have on offer, including our vast cycling trails.

“That is why it is great news that the third stage of the Tour of Britain Men will start here in Sheffield. We look forward to welcoming all those taking part, as well as cycling enthusiasts from across the region who will be spectating, to the city this September.”

Leader of Barnsley Council, Sir Steve Houghton CBE, said: “The Tour of Britain Men is a true spectacle of professional cycling and we can’t wait for Barnsley to host the final leg of the South Yorkshire Stage.

“We have a beautiful borough which we’re proud to show to a global TV audience as the race meanders through our towns and villages, and our newly redeveloped award-winning town centre is the perfect place for the finish line. In recent years Barnsley has welcomed a stage of the Tour de France, and also the Tour de Yorkshire which were both hugely popular and attracted thousands of visitors.

“We look forward to welcoming people from across the country and around the world to enjoy a fantastic day of cycle racing in Barnsley, the Place of Possibilities.”

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Social Inclusion & Neighbourhood Working, Cllr Dave Sheppard, Rotherham Council, said: “The Tour of Britain travelling through Rotherham during this south Yorkshire Stage is a fantastic opportunity for the borough, to showcase some of our beautiful scenery, provide a boost to cycling – whether as a leisure activity, as a sustainable mode of transport or as a competitive sport – and of course to benefit businesses in the area. We know our communities and schools will look forward to giving the teams and spectators a warm Rotherham welcome.”

Mayor Ros Jones, City of Doncaster Council, said: “This is Doncaster’s first-time welcoming Tour of Britain through multiple local communities since becoming a city, and we are delighted to be part of such an exciting sporting event, right in the heart of our communities. Being part of such a fantastic event across South Yorkshire gives the opportunity for residents to come together to cheer on cycling at an elite level, as well as inspiring the next generation of local sporting heroes.”

Since the last visit to South Yorkshire by the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men, the area has famously hosted a stage finish of the Tour de France (2014), as well as four stages of the Tour de Yorkshire (two starts and two finishes) between 2016 and 2019.

Barnsley has also hosted rounds of the Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series town centre races on several occasions, while the Sheffield Grand Prix has become a popular round of the same series, with the 2024 race taking place in a week’s time in the city centre on Wednesday 17 July.

The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men begins in the Scottish Borders on Tuesday 3 September, followed by a second stage in the Tees Valley. Following the South Yorkshire stage the Lloyds
Bank Tour of Britain Men heads to the Midlands, and West Northamptonshire, before concluding in Suffolk on Sunday 8 September after six stages of racing.

More details of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men, including the stage three route map, detailed stage timings, and competing teams will be announcing in the coming weeks.

About the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men

Relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the calendar, the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across six stages in September. In 2024 the race celebrates the 20th edition in its modern incarnation.

The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, and attracts a roadside audience of over 1m spectators. Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world. The Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport’s global calendar.

[Pictures courtesy of SWPix.com]