Route

For the second day running Devon and Somerset will be showing that they are premier destinations for serious cyclists as The Tour of Britain takes in the stunning settings and challenging terrain of the South West.

Beginning in the market town of Tavistock, riders will be plunged straight into the day’s opening climb, taking them up to Merrivale on the edge of Dartmoor. There’ll be no time to look at the Bronze Age megalithic stones that the area is famous for, as Stage Five continues on across the moor to Princetown, the highest town on the moor and famous for Dartmoor Prison, and Postbridge, known for its Grade II listed clapper bridge that spans the East Dart river.

Continuing along across the spectacular Dartmoor to Moretonhampstead, The Tour then heads out towards the edge of the National Park at Whiddon Down. The route then keeps close to the park boundary, briefly dipping back in before the opening Sprint at Cheriton Bishop, and then on to visit the suburbs of Exeter for the second day. This time The Tour takes to the north of the city, heading north up the Exe Valley on the A396, before turning right through the villages of Silverton and Bradninch and into Cullompton for the day’s second intermediate Sprint.

After Cullompton the route crosses the M5 and once again begins to roll, heading into Hemyock and up the short and very steep Coombe Hill, which the riders will have descended during Stage Four. Soon after the summit The Tour waves goodbye to Devon for 2010 and returns to Somerset as it runs along the Blackdown Hills.

Passing close to Chard, location for a stage start in 2008, The Tour heads through Illminster and onto the flats of the Somerset Levels, an area of rich biodiversity containing over thirty Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The final hot spot Sprint at Langport comes just over twenty kilometres from the finish, with the run-in taking The Tour through Somerton and into the ancient town of Glastonbury, famous for its Tor, its music festival and now for hosting The Tour of Britain.

The Tour will race into town from the south, passing close to the foot of Glastonbury Tor, topped by the remains of St Michael’s Church, before finishing in the centre of Glastonbury.

(All timings approximate)