Haytor to host Tour of Britain's first summit finish
Devon will make history as the first stage of The Tour of Britain to host a summit finish when Britain’s premier cycle race returns to the county in September to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
The organisers of The Tour and Devon County Council have announced that Devon will host Stage Six from Sidmouth to Haytor in Dartmoor National Park on Friday 20 September.
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Jonathan Tiernan-Locke crosses the line in Dartmouth Sept 2012
It will be the first time a stage has finished with a SKODA King of the Mountains climb in the modern era of the race.
The last time the race crossed Haytor, in 2011, the first rider to top the climb was South Devon's own Jonathan Tiernan-Locke.
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He went on to win the race overall in 2012, but is likely to be on duty at the clashing Vuelta a Espana this year, riding for his new team Sky Procycling.
It will be the seventh consecutive year that The Tour will have visited Devon.
In that time it has brought in more than £21 million to the local economy and showcased the county to a worldwide audience.
Last year alone generated more than £7.3 million in Devon in a record breaking year.
This year's Devon Stage will start in Sidmouth and will cover around 85 miles (137 km) of the county before finishing with the testing climb of Haytor.
The route will also see 96 of the world’s top cyclists race through Honiton, Willand, Tiverton, Stoke Canon, Exeter, Starcross, Chudleigh, Moretonhampstead, and Bovey Tracey before the challenging climax in Dartmoor National Park.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, said: "2012 was an incredible year for cycling and the best ever Tour of Britain played a key part in that.
"The crowds that turned out across Devon were truly amazing and we take great pride in comparisons with The Tour de France.
"The growing number of spectators and worldwide TV audience makes The Tour of Britain the perfect platform to showcase Devon as a premier destination for cycling tourism, and we are seeing more and more people cycling in our county."
Among the world class teams which have been revealed to be competing in the 2013 Tour are Sky Professional Cycling Team, Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, Garmin - Sharp, Vacansoleil DCM, Cannondale and Orica GreenEDGE.
Full details on the final line-up of teams for The Tour of Britain will be announced in the Summer.
At the national launch of the 2013 Tour in Covent Garden it was revealed that the race would start in Peebles in Scotland on Sunday 15 September and finish in London on Sunday 22 September.
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