Tour of Britain 2023: The best spots near Bristol to see the race and what time

The world’s top cyclists will be racing close to Bristol this weekend as the 2023 Tour of Britain arrives in the area.

On Saturday (September 9), stage seven sets off from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire at 11am and covers 170.9 kilometres (106.3 miles) before riders finish alongside the historic Gloucester Docks.

The route – which takes in Bishops Cleeve, Winchcombe, Cirencester, Tetbury, Chipping Sodbury, Yate, Dursley, and Stroud – is the same as was originally scheduled to feature in last year’s Tour of Britain until cancellation following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Race leaders will cross the border into South Gloucestershire on the A46 at Dunkirk (near Hawkesbury Upton) shortly after 1.20pm.

The riders then drop down through Horton, into Chipping Sodbury and Yate, and out towards Iron Acton and Rangeworthy, before exiting the district from Charfield around 2.20pm.

The best viewing sites for the free-to-watch race are Chipping Sodbury High Street and Rangeworthy. There will be an advance vehicle 15 minutes ahead of the race, keeping people up to date with what is happening.

The race is expected to arrive in Chipping Sodbury at 1.52pm, Yate at 1.54pm and then moving on to Wotton-under-Edge at 2.21pm.

To help promote the Tour of Britain, South Gloucestershire Council has positioned around 20 yellow bikes along and near the route.

Councillor Claire Young, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We are very excited to welcome the Tour of Britain to South Gloucestershire on Saturday. The event is sure to have a fantastic atmosphere and is a great way to bring communities together to spectate as the riders pass through our countryside, towns and villages.

“We hope that the excitement of the race will inspire more people to get out on their bikes to enjoy the local area and support the Big Switch to more active travel.”

The full timings for the stage and an interactive stage map are available on the Tour of Britain website.