Clifton welcomes giant screen and 20 brightly coloured bikes in honour of Tour of Britain

Clifton welcomes giant screen and 20 brightly coloured bikes in honour of Tour of Britain

Posted on: 06 Sep 2016

The world’s top cyclists will be heading to Bristol this year! We will be hosting two stages in one day – an individual time trial followed by a circuit race – on Saturday 10 September. Clifton Village will be home to a giant TV screen so you won't miss any of the action.

 

To celebrate the impending arrival of the Tour of Britain, a fleet of more than 20 brightly-decorated bikes have been placed around Clifton, creating a two-wheeled sculpture trail within this iconic area of Bristol. Ticking these two-wheeled sculptures off your list is a great way to see this famous area of Bristol.

Clifton welcomes giant screen and 20 brightly coloured bikes in honour of Tour of Britain

On Saturday 10th September, a giant 19ft by 11ft screen will be erected on Gloucester Row at the top of the Mall facing Christchurch Green. Funded by BID Clifton Village, it will show live footage from 10am to 5pm, covering the morning time trials and afternoon road race. With chairs and deckchairs provided, spectators can relax in comfort and take in all the action. Between the time trial and road race, a programme of live entertainment will keep the crowd occupied and with Clifton Village being only a short walk away there will be plenty of opportunities to get a snack or drink or even fit in some retail therapy.

 

Tony Miles, organiser of the Clifton event, commented: “The Tour of Britain is one of the largest public events in the UK and we want Clifton to be the place to watch it this year. We have an incredible opportunity as Bristol is  hosting two stages of the race  so we are inviting everyone to make the most of the occasion by putting on a full day’s entertainment for visitors. “

Sir Bradley Wiggins won the 2013 Tour ahead of Martin Elmiger (left) and Simon Yates (right)

-- Sir Bradley Wiggins won the 2013 Tour ahead of Martin Elmiger (left) and Simon Yates (right) --

 

Both stages will run across the same route, though with a short extra section added to join the start and finish of the time trail into a full circuit. The time trial (15.3km) will start at ‘The Water Tower’ in the middle of The Downs and finish on the western side of The Downs. The 5-lap Circuit Race (76.5km) will start and finish at that same TT finish spot. The route then crosses the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge before heading down to Bower Ashton and tracing a rough path along the River Avon towards the city. A quick turnaround near St Mary Redcliffe Church sees the riders head back along the north bank of the river towards the finish. After passing under the suspension bridge the competitors will face the fearsome climb of Bridge Valley Road. Though short in length, it is still a ‘classified climb’ in the King of the Mountains competition thanks to its vicious steepness. It could easily catch out those who haven’t done their homework – expect to see a few attacks from the Puncheurs in the field.

 

For more information about the giant screen in Clifton Village and details about the day’s programme visit www.discoverclifton.co.uk  or follow updates on Facebook and Twitter

 

Full details on every aspect of the Tour, along with further info on the Bristol stages and detailed route maps, is available at www.tourofbritain.co.uk. You can also follow the Tour of Britain Facebook page and Twitter

Michal Kwiatkowski Wins the 2014 Tour of Britain Stage in Bristol

-- Michal Kwiatkowski Wins the 2014 Tour of Britain Stage in Bristol --


Article by:

James Anderson

Born and raised in the suburbs of Swansea, Jimmy moved to Bristol back in 2004 to attend university. Passionate about live music, sport, science and nature, he can usually be found walking his cocker spaniel Baxter at any number of green spots around the city. Call James on 078 9999 3534 or email Editor@365Bristol.com.