Edwinstowe and Sherwood Forest set to take pole position in this year's Tour of Britain

One of two King of the Mountains climbs will take place on Kilton Hill and the tour will also run through Retford and a number of key Bassetlaw villages, Nottinghamshire Council has revealed.

The stage will start from Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre at Forest Corner, Edwinstowe, on Wednesday, September 6, and will pass through major towns including Ollerton and Southwell before the sprint for the finish line takes place in Newark, 170 kilometres later.

From Edwinstowe, it will head north through Budby towards Clumber Park and Worksop, before heading east to Retford. The route then turns south, passing through Walesby, Ollerton, Wellow and Bilsthorpe to Southwell before heading back north to Tuxford and Dunham, before turning south to the finish at Newark.

An interactive map of the Nottinghamshire stage can be found at nottinghamshire.gov.uk/culture-leisure/sport/tour-of-britain

Coun John Cottee, Nottinghamshire Council cabinet member for communities, said: “It is always exciting when the Tour is coming to Nottinghamshire and the announcement of the full route is when communities can really start to get into the spirit of welcoming the tour.

“The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest cycling race and we are honoured it is coming back to our great county for a fourth time this September.

“There are just over eight weeks to go now before the tour arrives in Nottinghamshire and there’s plenty of ways for everyone to get involved.

“Our competitions for youngsters aged four-11 are now open for young people to play a big role in the stage by designing the starting flag, the winner’s trophy and much more.”

Andy Hawes, ToB route director, said: “It’s really exciting that the Tour is returning to Nottinghamshire in September. It’s possible this the most spectacular stage we’ve ever designed in Robin Hood Country – there’s no doubt in my mind the race will do a brilliant job of showcasing this beautiful part of Britain to its worldwide TV audience.”

Coun Paul Peacock, Newark & Sherwood Council leader, said: “It is a proud moment for our district to welcome back the Tour. It’s especially good it both starts and ends in the district.

“September 6 will be a great day for our district, it gives us the chance to show our support for cyclists and cycling here by hosting this iconic race.

“This year will see the tour pass through our three largest towns, Ollerton, Southwell and Newark, giving some really good opportunities for our residents to watch these elite athletes racing across the district.

“Whenever the Tour has come to Nottinghamshire there has been a clear economic benefit for local business. The tour brings in huge numbers of visitors, in past years as many as 69 per cent of spectators have come from outside the local area with bringing tangible benefits to local hotels, pubs, restaurants and cafes.”

“It’s also a great chance for us to show off our incredible heritage, from Sherwood Forest and the mining heritage at the start of the stage, on to the Norman splendour of the Minster in Southwell through to Newark Castle and the rich history of the Civil War at the end.”