For instance, a series of new cycle routes intended to help cyclists enjoy the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) will be launched in Fore Street, Wellington from 2pm, followed by an unsupervised celebratory bike ride that afternoon. If you would like to know more, please see the Blackdown Hills AONB website for further details.

And don’t forget that the Pro route for the Tour Ride in the South West in 2010 also passes through Wellington town centre the same day – 5 September – when upward of one thousand amateur cyclists will be riding the same route as the professional riders themselves will be covering on Stage 4, from Minehead to Teignmouth.  As they pass through Wellington, the passage of each rider across a special line in South Street may be marked by the ringing of a bell by local children!  (More information is available by following the ‘South West’ link on the Tour Ride 2010 website.)

In addition to all of that, a ‘Family Fun in Wellington’ programme is being staged throughout the day at the Wellington Sports Centre — see it on the Events page.

These events form just part of the Wellington Experience Festival Fortnight, which also encompasses the passing of the Tour of Britain itself through the town centre on Tuesday 14 September.  For more details about the Festival Fortnight, please see the poster published here on the Events page.

All of which just goes to prove that the Tour of Britain is so much more than a sporting event alone – and everyone’s very welcome to come and join in!

Simon, who as a professional mountain biker represented Britain at World Championship and World Cup events, is from Shepton Mallet. Although he has since moved to Bristol, Somerset continues to feature heavily in his training schedule. Having had a consistent year, finishing second overall in the British Premier Calendar Series and 5th in the National Road Race Championships, he’s keen to get a good result in front of the South West crowds.

This year will be the fourth time the Sigma Sport-Specialized rider has competed in The Tour and he’ll be looking to improve on his best result of 17th overall in 2008. Simon still has fond memories of The Tour that year, particularly the South West stage which started at Chard, crossed the border into Devon and finished in Burnham-on-Sea.

“I targeted the South West stage in my preparation and it was there that I was able to get stuck into the race”, he recalls. “That stage was where the overall battle took shape.

“It’s difficult to predict if it will be the same this year but the South West stages again look like some of the hardest stages of the race. The start of Stage 4 looks really tough and it could split the riders up which should make it interesting.”

Simon added: “I certainly know the start of Stage 4 and finish of Stage 5 very well so it will be great to race on my home roads. Knowing where you’re going increases the motivation and possibly gives you a slight advantage, and hopefully the home support will make a difference.

“It’s been a really good year and to have a good Tour of Britain would cap it all off. It’s one of the best races to ride, not only as the most prestigious race in this country but you’re up against some of the best riders in the world in front of your home crowd.”

Councillor David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member Economic Development, said: “The fact that a top cyclist like Simon uses Somerset as a training ground illustrates that our county is a great place to cycle. We hope that our communities will get behind the riders and make the most of the opportunity to experience the excitement of an elite sporting event on their doorstep.”

Stage five of the race is set to finish in Glastonbury at around 2pm on Wednesday 15 September 2010. Thousands of spectators are expected in Glastonbury and the town is marking the occasion with a full day of events including a Battle of Britain 70th anniversary celebration and an Avalon themed parade with bikes decorated by local people. There will also be sporting demonstrations from Somerset Leisure and the Somerset Rural Life Museum is hosting a History of Cycling exhibition.

The stage will see cyclists race over 109 miles from Tavistock in Devon, coming via the Levels from Butleigh, over Fisher’s Hill and towards the finish line outside the town hall on Magdalene Street.

There is a live music theme to the day, with a family event at Tor Leisure from 4pm, organised by the Somerset Youth Volunteering Network, and an Avalon themed ball in the Town Hall from 7pm. Glastonbury Abbey will add to the party atmosphere as it hosts ‘A Night at the Abbey’ from 6pm.

Councillor David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member Economic Development said: “The Tour of Britain draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors to our area, bringing huge benefits to our local economy. The events in Glastonbury will give these visitors and local people the opportunity to see what a special place the town really is, as well as experiencing the excitement and spectacle of some top class cycle racing.”

Road closures will be in place on the race day. Find here your starting point for all you need to know about road closures, events and how to get there.

To find out more about decorating your bike and being yourself part of the Parade, click on the pictures:

• SW Tour of Britain Newsletter 2

HTC-Columbia, Garmin-Transitions Pro Cycling Team and Team Saxo-Bank have confirmed they will be among 17 teams competing in The Tour which will race through Devon and Somerset on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 September.

Devon and Somerset County Councils are co-hosting the two South West Stages of The Tour, with Stage 4 covering from Minehead to Teignmouth and Stage 5 from Tavistock to Glastonbury.

HTC Columbia won the 2009 Tour of Britain, with their former rider Edvald Boasson-Hagen taking the Yellow Jersey. Their team for this year’s race underlines their determination to defend the title, with a line-up headed by Tour Down Under winner Andre Greipel, Mark Renshaw, Tour of California winner Michael Rogers, as well as current Italian Time Trial Champion Marco Pinotti and his German equivalent Tony Martin.

The Garmin-Transitions line-up includes Ireland’s Dan Martin, recent winner of the Tour of Poland, as well as Tour de France stage winner Robbie Hunter and Australian Cameron Meyer, the current track World Champion in the Team Pursuit, Madison and Points Race disciplines.

Team Saxo Bank, ranked second in the world, includes Denmark’s Alex Rasmussen, an Olympic silver medallist in the track Team Pursuit in Beijing and Polish Time-Trial Champion Jaroslav Marycz. It also features Jonathan Bellis from the Isle of Man, riding his comeback Tour of Britain following his near fatal scooter accident last year which left him in a coma. He finished 12th overall in the 2008 Tour of Britain.

They will be joined by Dutch outfit Skil–Shimano and Belgian squad Topsport Vlaanderen–Mercator.

Two British teams, Sigma Sport-Specialized and Team Raleigh, will be making their Tour of Britain debuts but they include some experienced riders.

Sigma Sport-Specialized includes former Somerset resident Simon Richardson, who will be appearing in his fourth Tour of Britain and will be looking to improve on his best result of 17th overall in 2008.

Team Raleigh features Dan Fleeman, 7th overall in the 2008 Tour of Britain and Welsh Champion Dale Appleby.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Councillor for Highways and Transportation, said: “Such world class teams demonstrate what a high profile event the Tour of Britain is. It’s great for spectators who will be able to see some of the best cyclists from home and abroad racing through their communities and we hope everyone enjoys the occasion.”

Councillor David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member Economic Development, said: “The Tour of Britain is a great opportunity for local people to experience the excitement of an elite sporting event on their doorstep. Having top cyclists taking part in the South West stages is great news for us, because it helps to showcase Somerset and Devon as great places to cycle”.

The Tour of Britain 2010 begins in Rochdale on Saturday 11 September and finishes in London on Saturday 18 September. Daily highlights will be broadcast on ITV4 at 7pm.

Team HTC – Columbia provisional line-up:
Bert Grabsch; André Greipel; Tony Martin; Marco Pinotti; Mark Renshaw; Michael Rogers

Garmin – Transitions Pro Cycling Team provisional line-up:
Murilo Fischer; Robbie Hunter; Dan Martin; Martijn Maaskant; Cameron Meyer; Travis Meyer

Team Saxo Bank provisional line-up:
Jonathan Bellis; Lucas Sebastien Haedo; Frank Høj; Jonas Aaen Jorgensen; Jaroslav Marycz; Alex Rasmussen

Sigma Sport – Specialized provisional line-up:
Stephen Gallagher; Kit Gilham; Tom Murray; Simon Richardson; Matt Stephens; Wouter Sybrandy

Team Raleigh provisional line-up:
Dale Appleby; Tom Barras; Dan Fleeman; Richard Handley; Liam Holohan; Daniel Shand

Skil – Shimano provisional line-up:
Roy Curvers; Bert De Backer; Koen De Kort; Jin Long; Kenny Van Hummel; Robert Wagner

Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator provisional line-up:
Pieter Jacobs; Stijn Joseph; Gert Steurs; Michael Van Staeyen; Kristof Vandewalle; Pieter Vanspeybrouck

On Tuesday September 14th Teignmouth will play host to one of the UK’s biggest sporting events – the Tour of Britain professional cycling race.

Spectators will come together to see over 100 professional riders, including star names Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy & Geraint Thomas arrive in the town from 2pm.  Sporting display events will take place throughout the afternoon on The Den.

The free music festival, with licensed bar, will start at 4pm and will be a celebration of talent from Devon including The Dambuskers, Woodwalker, The Cadence and headlining will be The Quails. The eclectic mix of genres will appeal to a broad range of musical tastes.

The Dambuskers

Fiddle fronted, high energy, Celtic Rock 4-piece.
Three wild guys on bass, guitar, percussion, and one sexy fiddle diva, all the band sing.  The Dambuskers blend original material, traditional song, jigs’n’reels and choice covers from heroes: Pogues, Levellers, Waterboys etc – very much a  live act, and a festival band at heart.”

“Watching their set at Brampton Live was like stumbling across a damn good party!!’’
- (Ken & Sue Bradburn, Co-directors – Brampton Live Festival & Emerging Music)
“Dambuskers are the most exciting folk rock band I have seen.  Walk into one of their gigs and you will feel the buzz instantly.” – (Andy Knight, Festival Organizer – Bideford Folk Festival)

• http://www.myspace.com/thedambuskers

Woodwalker

Renowned mandolin player Marc and sublime vocalist Steve have been wowing audiences with their musical wizardry for a number of years.  Their mix of original numbers and their own inimitable take on old favourites have ensured a strong following on the acoustic music scene

The Cadence

A collaboration of some of the finest musicians in the area, The Cadence bring  you superb live pop, rock, funk, and soul music in style. Their set consists of some of the greatest and best loved classic high-octane hits from the 50′s onwards.  Colin Slade of Planet Rock and Classic Gold Radio said of the band “they are experienced musicians who have built up an enviable reputation as one of the region’s top live bands”.

• www.thecadence.co.uk

The Quails

Returning to headline in their home town, indie rock band The Quails have had a busy Summer playing at over 20 festivals in The UK and Europe including Glastonbury, Latitude, Gold Coast Ocean Fest and Chagstock.  They supported Newton Faulkner in the Alps and last year opened for Muse on the first night of their Resistance tour.  With a recent session on Radio 2, this band is attracting attention nationally.  Their infectious brand of indie rock, their catchy tunes, distinctive vocals and guitar virtuosity guarantee an enthusiastic reception from their loyal army of supporters and will ensure the night finishes with a party.

• www.thequails.co.uk

André Greipel and Mark Renshaw headline a strong provisional Team HTC – Columbia line-up ahead of this
September’s Tour of Britain. In addition to the two sprinters, a pair of former World Time Trial Champions in
Michael Rogers and Bert Grabsch will head to Britain, alongside current Italian Time Trial Champion Marco
Pinotti and his German equivalent Tony Martin.

Having won four stages and the overall 2009 Tour of Britain with the now departed Edvald Boasson Hagen,
Team HTC – Columbia will be battling to defend their title against 16 other determined teams over eight
challenging stages come September.

“We are delighted that Team HTC – Columbia are sending such a strong team to the race, which clearly
speaks volumes about how importantly they regard The Tour of Britain,” said Race Director Mick Bennett.

“Obviously the team have had tremendous success in Britain in the past, so I am sure they will want to
continue that, which means spectators will be in for a treat. I am excited about seeing the likes of André and
Mark sprinting for the line in Blackpool come Saturday 11th September, so I encourage people to come down
to one of our eight finish venues themselves to see them in action at firsthand.”

Greipel, who has won stages in both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, recently took victory in two
stages of the Tour of Poland.

So far in 2010, the 27-year-old German has won races in Australia, Portugal, Turkey, Austria and Poland,
with Britain next on his hit list! In addition to individual stage wins, Greipel has also won the Tour Down
Under overall on two occasions, in 2008 and 2010.

Fellow fastman Renshaw is better known as Mark Cavendish’s leadout man, but the Australian is also a fine
sprinter in his own right, as shown by his stage win at the Tour of Denmark in early August.

Rogers, who won the Tour of California earlier this season in addition to finishing on the podium at the Tour
de Romandie and Criterium International, will be riding his third Tour of Britain, having finished 7th and 5th in
2005 and 2006 respectively.

Grabsch and Pinotti will make their Tour of Britain debuts come September, while Martin has worn the white
jersey for Best Young Rider in the Tour de France, and was a key domestique for Boasson Hagen in 2009.

In reserve HTC – Columbia boast Michael Albasini, Marcel Sieberg and Australian youngster Leigh Howard,
with The Tour of Britain squad set to be managed by Brian Holm.

Joining HTC – Columbia at The Tour will be Dutch outfit Skil – Shimano and Belgian squad Topsport
Vlaanderen – Mercator.

The famous Skil – Shimano name returns to The Tour of Britain for the first time since 2007, and will also
field a pair of fast finishers in Kenny Van Hummel and Robert Wagner. Jin Long, Bert De Backer and Dutch
duo Roy Curvers and Koen De Kort complete the provisional line-up, with Australian sprinter Mitchell Docker,
Steve Houanard and Tom Veelers all named in reserve.

Lining up for Topsport Vlaanderen will be recent Tour of Denmark stage winner Michael Van Staeyen, Tour
of Qatar stage winner and second overall Gert Steurs and up-and-coming Belgians Pieter Jacobs, Stijn
Joseph and Pieter Vanspeybrouck.

Also included in the preliminary line-up is Kristof Vandewalle, who recently came fourth behind winner and
fellow Tour of Britain rider Dan Martin at the prestigious Tre Valli Varesine race in Italy.

Team HTC – Columbia provisional line-up for The Tour of Britain:
Bert Grabsch; André Greipel; Tony Martin; Marco Pinotti; Mark Renshaw; Michael Rogers
Reserves: Michael Albasini; Leigh Howard; Marcel Sieberg

Skil – Shimano provisional line-up for The Tour of Britain:
Roy Curvers; Bert De Backer; Koen De Kort; Jin Long; Kenny Van Hummel; Robert Wagner
Reserves: Mitchell Docker; Steve Houanard; Tom Veelers

Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator provisional line-up for The Tour of Britain:
Pieter Jacobs; Stijn Joseph; Gert Steurs; Michael Van Staeyen; Kristof Vandewalle; Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Reserves: Kenny De Ketele; Stijn Neirynck; Maarten Neyens

Twelve teams have now announced their provisional rider line-ups for The Tour of Britain. These are AN
Post Sean Kelly Cycling Team, Endura Racing, Garmin – Transitions Pro Cycling Team, Motorpoint –
Marshalls Pasta, Rapha – Condor – Sharp, Sigma Sport – Specialized, Skil – Shimano, Sky
Professional Cycling Team, Team HTC – Columbia Team Raleigh, Team Saxo Bank and Topsport
Vlaanderen – Mercator.

The Tour of Britain is proud to be partnered with The Prostate Cancer Charity. Don’t forget this September
your chance to follow in the wheel tracks of the professionals and ride three stages from The Tour of Britain.
Go to www.tourride.co.uk to find out more!