On Saturday 9th September Cheltenham will be in the spotlight once again as we play host to the finish line of the penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain. On the day, 120 of the world’s top athletes will be powering through the town centre and completing the 115-mile race from Hemel Hempstead, outside Imperial Gardens.

There’s going to be a huge buzz in the town and Cheltenham’s top class organising bods have come up trumps once again with a cracking line-up of entertainment for everyone to enjoy alongside the race.

The Family Zone Pittville Park
Wheelie Good Fun for all...

Cheltenham Festival of Cycling will be taking over the park, providing a relaxed family friendly zone. The Festival will transform the park into a hive of activity, ranging from hook-a-duck (YES!) to learning to ride a bike!

Cycling fans young and old have been catered for, with a large TV viewing point to stream the race live throughout the day, providing the perfect spot for families who want to relax and kick back in the park with a picnic or alfresco dining.

No picnic? No problem. Local food suppliers will be on hand with choices ranging from an all day BBQ to posh nosh street food.

List of activities likely to feature within the Kids Zone 9:00am - 17:00pm.

• Fully created Race Route competition around the park for kids to get active and peddle some steam off
• Go Karts
• Rock Climbing Wall
• Trampolines
• Inflatables
• Race-a-rama
• Lots of Cheltenham Trust Activities
• Mini golf
• Danters Funfair
• Food & Drink stalls
• Picnic and race viewing area

Adults / Teenagers
Wheels set off - 09:00 - 12:00

Intermediate riders can go on an official Cycle of the local race route, they can ride the roads before the athletes, fully organised and hosted by a local cycling club, riders return back to Pittville Park at 12:00pm in time to watch the TOB riders at around 14:30.

The park itself will be a hub of activity from 10:00am - 6:00pm and the streets are anticipated to be lined with spectators from around 2:30 to catch a glimpse to the world’s best! For those who wish to continue the festival fun, you can take a short walk or ride to The Long Gardens

The Long Gardens - The Prom
11am - 18:00

Within the Long Gardens on the Promenade (outside the Municipal Offices), this car free zone will be host to the festival market. The iconic backdrop will be home to the following;

• TV and Festival Stage
• Shopping Stalls
• Breeze Radio live streaming zone
• Local Street Food providers
• Champagne & Gin Bar by Hotel Du Vin
• Try-out demo zone where you can get on a bike and take a ride
• The official VIP race village, with stalls of the national Tour of Britain sponsors
• The finish line! Watch first-hand as the teams zip across the finish line
• A big screen outside Prezzo, where you can watch the whole race before turning to see the finish live.

It seems that the organisers have gone all out on making this a really special event for the town.

Roll on September!

For more information about this event, please visit the Cheltenham Cycling Festival or the Tour of Britain website.