The 18th edition of the 2022 Tour of Britain is set to be a spectacle. Kicking off on the September 4, the eight-day race will begin in Aberdeen before heading the Scottish Borders then moving west towards the North Pennines. Following this, the steep climbs of North Yorkshire await the riders, then the stunning Cotswolds. The penultimate stage takes place in Dorset before the grand finale on the Isle of Wight.
The route is exciting and invites aggressive, attacking racing. Like last year, when the overall victory was taken by Wout van Aert, the roads of the Tour of Britain are suited to the puncheurs of the peloton. There aren’t many long climbs, but there are plenty of short, tough, steep bergs for the riders to contend with. Summit finishes in Aberdeenshire and The Needles bookend the race, which could mean the GC battle goes down to the wire. The unrelenting, attritional route on stage four in Yorkshire also looks like another crucial day for the riders targeting the overall.
Here’s a full breakdown of the 2022 Tour of Britain route.
Tour of Britain 2022 Route – The stages
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE ONE (04/09): ABERDEEN > GLENSHEE SKI CENTRE (181.3KM)
The organisers of this year’s Tour of Britain haven’t given riders any opportunity to ease into the race, with a summit finish taking place on the opening day. It’s the first time in Tour of Britain history that this has occurred and could mean that we see the general classification favourites emerge early on in the race. The climb where the final showdown will take place is ‘Old Military Road’ from Auchallater to Glenshee Ski Centre. It measures 9.1 kilometres long, with the final five kilometres averaging a gradient of 4.8%.
The lead up to this point in the race isn’t a simple one, though, with rolling roads right from the flag drop in Aberdeen. The stage features a sprint point after just 27 kilometres so we can expect to see a furious start, and there are three categorised climbs to follow from then on. A further two sprint points in the latter half of the stage means that the opening day gives riders little respite, with drama to be expected throughout. The winner of this stage will wear the first leader's jersey of the race, and it will then be a case of seeing if they can bold it all the way to the finish.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE TWO (05/09): HAWICK > DUNS (175.2KM)
Stage two gets off to a relatively tame start in Hawick, with rolling roads towards the first sprint point in Morebattle. Just over 30 kilometres later comes the second sprint of the day, which gives plenty of incentive for a breakaway to establish itself early on in the stage. The roads begin to kick up after 117km of racing and the third and final intermediate sprint of the day. From then on, it’s a punchy finale which will pose a challenge to the fast men hoping to hold on to the line.
Packed into the final 25 kilometres of the race are three third category climbs. While they aren’t long, they will seriously test the legs after a day of racing and could put some sprinters in danger. Teams who don’t want a bunch finish will use these hills as springboards for attacks and hope to stay away on the descent to the finish in Duns.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE THREE (06/09): DURHAM > SUNDERLAND (163.6KM)
The standout feature of stage three of the Tour of Britain is undoubtedly the ominous Chapel Fell climb. With maximum gradients of 16% and an average of 8%, it’s the toughest obstacle that the riders will face up to this point in the race. Spanning 2.4 miles, Chapel Fell will cause some serious splits in the peloton, especially as it gets harder near the summit. It comes after just 45 kilometres of racing, so we can expect to see a big fight for a breakaway to establish itself, perhaps even including some of the fast men who want to give themselves sliding room on the climb.
The category two Billy Lane climb comes roughly 40 kilometres later. It’s not as long as Chapel Fell or as steep, but it will still sting the legs after a tough opening to the stage. The route gradually descends towards the final climb of the day – the third category High Moorsley climb – which comes with just under 20 kilometres to go to the finish. The finish itself is a flat run-in to Sunderland which could be won by the breakaway or be an opportunity for the fast men who have hung on to this point.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE FOUR (07/09): REDCAR > DUNCOMBE PARK, HELMSLEY (149.5KM)
Stage four of the Tour of Britain 2022 sees the riders enter North Yorkshire, an area known for its incredibly steep, punchy climbs and grippy roads. The route kicks off in Redcar for a rolling start before the first sprint point of the day in the seaside town of Whitby. After around 55km the peloton will tackle the first climb of the day: Robin Hood’s Bay. It’s an incredibly tough incline with percentages reaching up to 25% during the 2 mile stretch. The second classified climb of the day comes just over 20 kilometres later. Egton Bank is shorter but still steep with gradients reaching a maximum of 18%.
The peloton then has a little respite before a savage, unrelenting final 30 kilometres of the stage. The Carlton Bank climb kicks off proceedings, it’s a 2km long ascent with an average gradient of 9.8%. Newgate Bank follows 12 kilometres later, a similar length to Carlton Bank but the inclines aren’t quite as severe. The stage finishes after the peloton has descended to the line in Duncombe Park, one of Yorkshire’s finest historic houses and estates.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE FIVE (08/09): WEST BRIDGFORD > MANSFIELD (186.8KM)
As the Tour of Britain 2022 skirts into Nottinghamshire, the riders will get a little respite in stage five. There are no steep climbs in this stage, only two third category ascents near the start and finish of the day. The first is a short climb to Keyworth which comes after 21km of racing. From there, the route heads to Edingley for the first of three intermediate sprint points in this stage.
The second incline of the day comes with just over 30 kilometres of racing to go and the route does steadily climb upwards from then on towards the finish in Mansfield. Sprinters should be able to hold on to the peloton in today’s stage, but they will have fatigue in their legs following the tough stage in Yorkshire the day before. However, this stage is as easy as it’s going to get for the fast men, it’s the only one in the 2022 Tour with less than 2,000 metres of climbing.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE SIX (09/09): TEWKESBURY > GLOUCESTER (170.9KM)
Stage six is another day on rolling terrain that is synonymous with the British roads. Round Hill, the opening climb of the day comes after just 20 kilometres which means it will be a tough start for the riders. Following that, the third category Whittington Hill comes just over 20 kilometres later, amounting to a punchy start to the stage. The riders do have some respite for roughly the next 100 kilometres aside from three intermediate sprint points which could be hotly contested depending on how things are shaping up in this competition.
The second category climb, Crawley Hill, is the final one of the day coming 24 kilometres from the finish. It’s a rolling run-in to the line from here which could provide good terrain for a late attack for a breakaway to stay away. The finish itself in Gloucester is flat and fast.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE SEVEN (10/09): WEST BAY > FERNDOWN (175.9KM)
For the first time in the race’s history, the Tour of Britain will visit Dorset in 2022. Stage seven runs parallel to the Dorset Coast for its opening 40 kilometres, meaning the roads are relatively flat but we could expect some strong coastal winds which might have an impact on the race. Daggers Gate and Whiteways Hill are the first two climbs of the day, categorised as second and third category ascents respectively.
As the route heads inland towards Wareham the riders have some brief respite on flatter roads before things kick up again near the third ascent of the day: the second category Okeford Hill. From then on, it’s a rolling run-in to the finish which doesn’t include any categorised climbs, just one intermediate sprint point which comes 20 kilometres before the line. The sprinters could hang on in this stage and have a shot at the win, but it’s going to take some effort, especially with fatigue in the legs.
TOUR OF BRITAIN 2022, STAGE EIGHT (11/09): RYDE > THE NEEDLES (148.9KM)
The finale of the 2022 Tour of Britain takes place on the Isle of Wight for the first time. Starting in Ryde, the first climb of the day comes early on in the stage after just 20km of racing. It’s the first category Bradling Down ascent – a sharp and steep climb which will test the legs early on. Flat roads follow as the peloton skirt through Yarmouth and Cowes, but the climbing starts again in the latter part of the stage.
Cowleaze Hill and Zig Zag Road come back-to-back after 110 kilometres of racing, and we can expect these climbs to split the peloton. From then, the riders will race along the Military Road towards The Needles Landmark Attraction. The 2022 Tour of Britain culminates with a two-kilometre climb up to Tennyson Down, the final 400 metres of which average a gradient of 9.6%, making it one of the hardest finishes in the race’s history.
Where to watch the 2022 Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain will be televised live on ITV4 in the UK and around the world by Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network (GCN). Other International broadcasters are due to be announced later this month.
Cover image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix
