CYCLING'S high-profile Tour of Britain 2021 will be visiting several towns and villages on the Cheshire stage five that will start at Alderley Park and end in Warrington.

Congleton, Holmes Chapel, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Chelford, Knutsford and High Legh can brace themselves for an influx of racers passing through on Thursday, September 9, before entering Warrington via Appleton and finishing at the town's Golden Gates.

The 152-kilometre (95-mile) stage will take in a loop through Cheshire and the fringes of the Peak District National Park.

Stage five will get underway from Alderley Park at 11.30am from outside Glasshouse, a 150,000 sq ft hub for innovative, hi-tech companies, taking in a route through the impressive grounds.

The route will pass famous Cheshire landmarks such as the 18th Century neoclassical Capesthorne Hall, Jodrell Bank – home to the iconic Grade I listed Lovell Telescope – and through the towns of Holmes Chapel and Congleton, the latter of which hosts the first intermediate sprint.

A trio of ŠKODA King of the Mountains climbs follow skirting below the famous skyline of Bosley Cloud and into the Cheshire Peak District, with the main climb at Bottom-of-the-Oven, a 1.7km ascent (with an average gradient of 6.9%) to just shy of the famous Cat and Fiddle.

Macclesfied, Rainow, and Adlington will all welcome the race before a second intermediate sprint at Wilmslow.

The route then heads through the town of Alderley Edge and the climb of the same name and on through Chelford, Knutsford and High Legh.

> READ: Details of the route through Warrington and sprint finish

Jonathan Durling, Tour of Britain partnerships director, said: “We’re delighted to unveil Alderley Park as the location for the stage five start.

"Alderley Park’s reputation as being a world-leading campus for innovation ties in perfectly with the Tour of Britain, as the competing teams and riders leave no stone unturned when it comes to using the best and most up-to-date equipment out there to give them that crucial performance edge.”

Rescheduled to 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 17th edition of the UK’s most prestigious stage race runs for 1,320kms (820 miles).

Racing will begin in Cornwall for the first time on Sunday, September 5, with the overall champion crowned in Aberdeen, eight days later.

THE STAGES:

Stage One: Sunday 5 September, Penzance to Bodmin, 180.8km

Stage Two: Monday 6 September, Sherford to Exeter, 184km

Stage Three: Tuesday 7 September, Carmarthenshire team time trial, 27.5km

Stage Four: Wednesday 8 September, Aberaeron to Great Orme, Llandudno, 209.7km

Stage Five: Thursday 9 September, Cheshire to Warrington, 152km

Stage Six: Friday 10 September, Carlisle to Gateshead, 192.7km

Stage Seven: Saturday 11 September, Hawick to Edinburgh, 194.7km

Stage Eight: Sunday 12 September, Stonehaven to Aberdeen, 173km

The Tour of Britain was relaunched in 2004 after a five-year absence from the calendar.

It is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, held annually across eight days in September.

The free-to-watch sporting spectacular features Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, and attracts a roadside audience of over 1.5m spectators.

Live coverage of the race is shown daily in the UK on ITV4, in addition to around the world.

The Tour of Britain is part of the UCI ProSeries, making it one of the most prestigious sporting events in the sport’s global calendar.