Tour de France countdown starts with free cycle

A free cycle event is to kick off the year's countdown to Tour de France's stage coming to Cumbria.

The Cumbrian parts of the 2027 event involve stage one of the men's race finishing in Carlisle on 2 July, while stage two will start in Keswick and pass Windermere the next day - marking the first time the race has come to the county.

Keswick Tourism Association (KTA) said it wanted to "celebrate our fantastic cycling landscape" in a warm-up event following part of the proposed 2027 route on 3 July.

Co-organiser Jon Redding, from Ultimate Cycling Adventures, said there would be many more cycling activities, "building support momentum", ahead of next year.

Redding said it was "fantastic to be able to offer visitors the chance to ride the same roads as Tour de France riders like Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have ridden".

The hardest stage follows the Tour de France Route at 45km (27.9 miles) from Keswick to Grasmere via Dunmail Raise, returning via Thirlmere and St John's in the Vale to Fitz Park.

An intermediate route - which is 35km (21.7 miles) long - goes from Keswick to the end of Thirlmere Reservoir, returning via the reservoir road and St John's in the Vale to Fitz Park.

A family and leisure route of 17km (10.5 miles) is also available, starting in Keswick to Legburthwaite and back via St John's in the Vale to Fitz Park.

Redding said the Lake District was "very geared towards mountain bikers so to see the ultimate road cycling event coming here is hopefully going to raise the profile of road cycling here enormously".

KTA manager Jack Beament said the event would also provide "an opportunity to learn lessons, engage the community and build momentum ahead of the Tour's arrival in 2027".

"The Tour de France coming to Cumbria is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our area," Beament continued.

"It's arguably the biggest annual sporting event in the world and having a stage pass through Keswick and the Northern Lakes will put our landscape, communities and businesses in front of a global audience.

"It's incredibly exciting."

Redding said while Ultimate Cycling Adventures would provide free support, online registration was needed.

Keswick Tourism Association added it was searching for volunteers to help with the event.

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