It’s fantastic news that our area will once again be front and centre of the Tour of Britain this Autumn, with a Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire stage that will start in Edwinstowe, in the heart of Sherwood Forest and just a short distance from Mansfield.
I cannot wait to welcome the teams as well as the spectators who will come to our towns and villages in their thousands, to cheer on the riders. It really has turned into a momentous occasion for the whole county in recent years!
The stage will once again provide us with a brilliant opportunity to showcase Nottinghamshire to a global television audience of millions and help shine a light on why it is such a great place to live, work and visit.
Spectators, particularly those watching on television, are taken on a street-by-street tour of parts of our city, boroughs and the wider Nottinghamshire countryside; featuring some of our historic villages, towns, and landmarks many of which are globally renowned.
We know how important events like these are for our local economy and for putting Nottinghamshire firmly on the map for future opportunities like this.
We enjoyed three incredible days when the race came to the county in 2017, 2018 and last year, with the 2022 stage being the most successful yet for our local economy, boosting it by more than £4 million!
Last year 225,000 people lined the route which stretched for over 116 miles, highlighting the enthusiasm people across the county have for this event, that not only attracts people from further afield but gives communities something exciting to celebrate right on their doorstep.
In fact, organisers said the Nottinghamshire crowds were the best they’d seen across the entire race last year.
It’s my hope that organisers can see how enthusiastically people across our county have embraced this event and that we will continue to be picked to host a stage each and every year the race is held.
Having hosted a stage of the race for four of the last seven years, with the 2020 race cancelled due to COVID restrictions, it’s certainly looking like more of an annual event for our county which is great to see!
I encourage everyone, especially those who have never been before, to join in with this event in some way.
It is a fantastic event for families to enjoy with a great atmosphere of celebration along the route, and a chance to plan in some time to visit other local attractions and enjoy Nottinghamshire’s countryside.
I look forward to seeing miles of bunting, flags, yellow bikes and creative displays along the route – so don’t forget to look out for more details in the coming weeks about how you can play your part in this year’s race.
