OLYMPIC duo Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas are just two of the household names who will be racing through Rocester in the countrys biggest professional cycling race.
On Sunday, the Tour of Britain visits Uttoxeter and the Moorlands for the second year running for Stage Two of the prestigious race.
As well as featuring Wiggins and Thomas, other famous names competing in the race include Mark Cavendish’s sidekick Mark Renshaw, British Tour de France riders Jeremy Hunt and Dan Lloyd, and South African sprinter Robbie Hunter A true comeback story though is Jonathan Bellis, who is due to ride The Tour as part of his comeback from the scooter accident that left him in a coma last September.
The 22-year-old Manxman rode the British National Championships in June, with The Tour being another pedal stroke on his road to recovery.
The stage starts in Hanley before heading down towards Stone.
There the route goes crosscountry, skirting Uttoxeter past villages such as Stramshall, Beamhurst and Leigh and passing through Rocester, as the race enters the Moorlands and the climbing begins.
First up is the King of the Mountains climb of Ramshorn in the Weaver Hills, but several unclassified climbs along the route between here and Longnor will ensure there isn’t a moment of respite for the racers.
Leaving Longnor, the road kicks up steeply into the Category One climb up onto Hollinsclough Moor. With the opening ramp coming in at 10 per cent before the road settles into a long, grinding and exposed climb, this will make another excellent viewing location.
The route joins the A53 just outside Flash, before following that road down a fast descent past The Roaches to Tittesworth Reservoir at the foot of the day’s final climb of Gun Hill.
Another fast descent takes The Tour to Leek for the second Sprint of the day atop a nasty little rise, then on and up Cheddleton Bank for the closing kilometres back into Stoke-on-Trent, on roads familiar to riders from last year.
After dropping down to Barlaston the route passes through the Wedgwood Estate and the last Sprint and into the final two of Stoke-on-Trent’s six towns Longton and Fenton before the finish in Hanley.
The Tour is due to enter Milwich at approximately 11.18am then taking the B5027 Uttoxeter Road towards Leigh.
The front runners are due around Beamhurst around 11.34am, past Stramshall at 11.38 and through Rocester at 11.40am.More information, timings and a map of the route available from www.tourofbritain.co.uk.
