Road closures announced as Tour of Britain women's cycling race visits Lancashire

A programme of road closures will be in place when an elite women's cycling race visits Lancashire in a first for the county.

Stage two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women's race will pass through more than 70 miles of Lancashire on Thursday 20 August, starting in Clitheroe and finishing in Blackpool.

Some of the world's top cyclists will race through our towns and villages as riders tackle Waddington Fell and the Nick o'Pendle before passing through areas including Sabden, Whalley, Hurst Green, Longridge, Broughton, Weeton and Lytham, before a sprint to the finish line next to Blackpool's famous Mirror Ball.

There will be rolling road closures during the event, to minimise disruption and for everyone's safety, however most roads will be affected for around 30 to 40 minutes. 

Access for emergency services will be maintained. 

Clitheroe previously hosted the men's race in 2015, which was the last time the Tour came to Lancashire.

Blackpool is no stranger to the event, having hosted three starts and five finishes to the Tour, including when Sir Mark Cavendish won the stage in 2012.

Blackpool is also hosting the Family Cycling Festival outside the Solaris Centre in the hours before the women's race, with people of all ages able to cycle along a traffic-free route and take part in cycling-themed activities between 11am and 2pm on Thursday August 20.

The festival is free to attend and people are asked to bring their own bikes, although a limited number are available to hire for children and adults.

The women's race marks the start of an exciting time for cycling in Lancashire, with stage two of the men's Tour de France heading our way on Saturday 3 July 2027, putting our county on a global stage.

Riders in the Tour of Britain women's race will use some of the same routes as those in next year's Tour de France.

"It's an exciting time for sport in Lancashire as we recently hosted the Women's Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes, matches have been played at Lancashire Cricket Club's second home, the AO Farington Cricket Ground and we are already looking forward to the Tour de France next year and the Open Championship returning to Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2028," said County Councillor Stephen Atkinson, Leader of Lancashire County Council.

"The Tour of Britain women's race will show off our towns and villages to thousands of residents and visitors, and events like this really bring communities together. It's also a fantastic opportunity for people to see elite cyclists right on their doorstep.

"This also gives us the chance to showcase what Lancashire and the North has to offer, whether that's a place to host international events or a fantastic place to live, work and invest in."