Tour of Britain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tour of Britain

2024 Tour of Britain
File:Tour of Britain men logo.jpg
Race details
Date	September
Region	Great Britain
Local name(s)	The Tour
Discipline	Road
Competition	UCI Europe Tour (2004–2021) UCI ProSeries (2021–present)
Type	Stage race
Organiser	British Cycling
History
First edition	1945 (1945)
First winner	Robert Batot (FRA)
Most recent	Stephen Williams (GBR)

The Tour of Britain is a big cycling race held on roads across Great Britain. Riders compete to finish the race in the fastest time. It's like a marathon on bikes, but it happens over several days and stages.

This exciting event started way back after the Second World War. Over the years, it has been known by different names, including the Milk Race and the Kellogg's Tour of Britain. The modern version of the Tour of Britain began in 2004.

History of the Tour of Britain

Early Days (1945–1999)

The idea for the Tour of Britain came from a disagreement among cyclists during World War II. Some cyclists wanted to have big races on public roads, like the famous Tour de France. However, the main cycling group in Britain at the time, the National Cyclists' Union (NCU), was worried this would be too dangerous.

A group of cyclists who wanted these bigger races formed a new organization called the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC). They dreamed of having their own version of the Tour de France right here in Britain.

The very first multi-day bike race in Britain was the Southern Grand Prix in Kent in 1944. This success encouraged the BLRC to create an even bigger race. They called it the Victory Cycling Marathon in 1945 to celebrate the end of the war. This race went all the way from Brighton to Glasgow in five stages. A French rider named Robert Batot won the first race.

It was a tough race for the riders. They often had to find their own places to sleep, sometimes even in barns! Many people came to watch, showing how popular cycling was becoming.

Sponsors and Changes

In the early days, the race didn't have much money. Riders and officials often paid for things themselves. Over time, different companies and newspapers started to sponsor the race.

Gordon Thomas receiving the 1953 Tour of Britain cup

One of the most famous sponsors was the Milk Marketing Board. They started supporting the race in 1958.

The Milk Race

The Milk Marketing Board (MMB) was a group that helped dairy farmers sell milk. A cyclist named Dave Orford suggested that the MMB sponsor a big international race to encourage people to "Drink more milk."

This led to the creation of the Milk Race, which was also known as the Tour of Britain. It ran for 35 years, from 1958 to 1993, making it the longest-running cycling sponsorship in the UK. For many years, only amateur riders could compete. Later, both amateurs and professionals were allowed. The Milk Race ended in 1993 when the Milk Marketing Board closed down.

In 2013, the "Milk Race" name was brought back for a special one-day race in Nottingham.

Kellogg's Tour and PruTour

After the Milk Race, other companies sponsored the Tour. The Kellogg's Tour of Britain ran from 1987 to 1994. These races were known for having very long and hilly stages.

The caravane (support vehicles) before the race near Halifax

Later, the PruTour, sponsored by Prudential plc, took place in 1998 and 1999. Sadly, both the Kellogg's Tour and the PruTour ended because of safety concerns. There were accidents during these races, which led sponsors to pull out.

Past Winners (1945-1999)

The Modern Tour of Britain (from 2004)

After a break of five years, the Tour of Britain came back in 2004. It started as a five-day race and slowly grew to become an eight-stage event by 2008. This is a professional men's race, attracting top cycling teams from around the world. It also includes British teams and a special Great Britain national squad.

Stage 3 of the 2005 race passing through Honley, near Huddersfield

Winners of the Modern Tour

		Rider	Team
2004		Ardila, MauricioMauricio Ardila		Chocolade Jacques-Wincor Nixdorf
2005		Nuyens, NickNick Nuyens		Quick-Step–Innergetic
2006		Pedersen, MartinMartin Pedersen		Team CSC
2007		Feillu, RomainRomain Feillu		Agritubel
2008		Lequatre, GeoffroyGeoffroy Lequatre		Agritubel
2009		Boasson Hagen, EdvaldEdvald Boasson Hagen		Team Columbia–HTC
2010		Albasini, MichaelMichael Albasini		Team HTC–Columbia
2011		Boom, LarsLars Boom		Rabobank
2012		Haas, NathanNathan Haas		Garmin–Sharp
2013		Wiggins, BradleyBradley Wiggins		Team Sky
2014		van Baarle, DylanDylan van Baarle		Garmin–Sharp
2015		Boasson Hagen, EdvaldEdvald Boasson Hagen		MTN–Qhubeka
2016		Cummings, SteveSteve Cummings		Team Dimension Data
2017		Boom, LarsLars Boom		LottoNL–Jumbo
2018		Alaphilippe, JulianJulian Alaphilippe		Quick-Step Floors
2019		van der Poel, MathieuMathieu van der Poel		Corendon–Circus
2020	No race due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021		van Aert, WoutWout van Aert		Team Jumbo–Visma
2022		Serrano, GonzaloGonzalo Serrano		Movistar Team
2023		van Aert, WoutWout van Aert		Team Jumbo–Visma
2024		Williams, StephenStephen Williams		Israel–Premier Tech

Key Moments in Recent Tours

2004: The Return of the Tour

The 2004 Tour of Britain was the first modern race. It lasted five days and was organized by SweetSpot Group and British Cycling. Famous teams like T-Mobile and U.S. Postal Service took part. The race ended with a fast circuit race in London, where about 100,000 people watched. Mauricio Ardila from Colombia won the overall title.

2005: First British Stage Win

The 2005 Tour of Britain had six stages. British rider Roger Hammond won a stage in Blackpool, becoming the first British rider to win a stage in the modern race. Future Tour de France champions Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish also raced for the first time this year.

2006: Live TV Coverage

The 2006 Tour of Britain saw its final stage televised live on BBC's Grandstand. This was a big step for the race. Martin Pedersen won the overall title.

2007: Longer Race, Closer Finish

The 2007 Tour of Britain was extended to seven days. It started in London and finished in Glasgow. French rider Romain Feillu won by a tiny margin, less than half a second! Mark Cavendish won the first two stages and the points competition.

2008: More Stages, More TV

The tour grew to eight stages in 2008. It started in London and finished in Liverpool. ITV4 began broadcasting highlights of each stage. Geoffroy Lequatre won the overall race without winning any individual stages.

2009: Boasson Hagen's Dominance

In 2009, Edvald Boasson Hagen was incredibly strong. He won a record four stages in a row on his way to winning the overall title.

2010: New London Finish

The 2010 race was won by Michael Albasini. His winning margin was the largest in the modern race's history. For the first time, the London finish was held near ExCeL London due to other events in the city center.

2011: World Champion Races

The 2011 Tour of Britain saw the second time a reigning world champion, Thor Hushovd, won a stage while wearing the special rainbow jersey. Mark Cavendish, a famous British sprinter, also returned to the race and won two stages.

2012: Live Coverage and British Winner

After Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France and the London 2012 Olympics, public interest in cycling grew. The last two hours of each stage of the 2012 Tour of Britain were shown live on TV. Australia's Nathan Haas was later awarded the overall win after the original winner was disqualified.

2013: Wiggins Wins at Home

The tenth edition of the modern race, the 2013 Tour of Britain, was won by British hero Bradley Wiggins. This was Team Sky's only overall victory in the race. The race also featured its first-ever hill-top finish on Haytor, Devon.

2014: UCI 2.HC Status

The 2014 Tour of Britain was given a higher ranking by the UCI, making it an even more important race. It also had a title sponsor, Friends Life Group. German sprinter Marcel Kittel won two stages, including the London finish.

2015: Boasson Hagen's Second Win

Edvald Boasson Hagen became the first rider to win the modern Tour of Britain twice in 2015. The race started in Anglesey, a small island, for the first time.

2016: Home Rider Victory

The 2016 Tour of Britain was won by British rider Steve Cummings. This was his first overall win after finishing second twice before. It was also the last professional race for Bradley Wiggins before he retired.

2017: Live TV for Every Stage

The 2017 Tour of Britain was sponsored by OVO Energy. For the first time, every stage was broadcast live on ITV4, allowing more fans to watch the action. Lars Boom won the race for the second time.

2018: Team Time Trial and Famous Riders

Julian Alaphilippe from France won the 2018 Tour of Britain. Over 1.5 million people watched the race from the roadside. Famous riders like Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas also took part. This year featured the race's first-ever team time trial stage.

2019: Van der Poel's Victory

The 2019 Tour of Britain was won by Mathieu van der Poel after a close battle. He won three stages, including the final stage in Greater Manchester.

2020: Race Cancelled

The 2020 Tour of Britain was planned to start in Cornwall for the first time. However, the race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Return to Racing

The men's Tour of Britain returned in 2021 after the cancellation. It started in Penzance, Cornwall, and finished in Aberdeen, Scotland.

2022: Shortened Race

The 2022 Tour of Britain returned to Yorkshire. However, the final three stages were cancelled because of the death of Elizabeth II.

2023: Manchester to Caerphilly

The 2023 Tour of Britain began in Manchester and finished in Caerphilly.

2024: New Organizers and Sponsor

In late 2023, there were financial issues with the race organizers. However, British Cycling stepped in to organize both the men's and women's Tours. In May 2024, Lloyds Bank became the main sponsor for both races. The 2024 men's Tour of Britain was shortened to six stages. It started in Kelso and finished in Felixstowe. Stevie Williams won the men's tour.

2025: Upcoming Race

The 2025 edition of the Tour of Britain is planned to take place from Tuesday 2 September to Sunday 7 September.

See also

In Spanish: Vuelta a Gran Bretaña para niños