Stage 8: Blackpool to Liverpool
Sunday 14th September

Welcome to Stage Eight, the final stage of The 2008 Tour of Britain, which will see the peloton race through England’s North West from Blackpool to Liverpool.

The route follows the coastline closely, before entering Liverpool for six exciting laps of a city centre circuit that takes in some of Liverpool’s most iconic landmarks.

Blackpool

2008 will be the third time that The Tour of Britain has visited Blackpool, making it one of the most visited venues for the race outside of London. This popular holiday destination has been a happy hunting ground for the Brits on the previous two visits to the resort with Roger Hammond taking the previous two stages that have started or finished there.

Best known for the Pleasure Beach and its eponymous tower, Blackpool is a destination undergoing a renaissance at the moment and welcomes many thousands of visitors each year, as much for events such as The Tour of Britain as for the many more traditional delights the town has to offer.

Blackpool is the UK’s favourite holiday resort, packed with attractions, entertainment, top line shows and events. The resort boasts twelve miles of promenade, at the heart of which is the famous Golden Mile. Here you'll find adrenalin pumping thrills at the Pleasure Beach and the world famous Blackpool Tower and Circus. And of course don’t miss the the spectacular illuminations display which runs until 2nd November.

While the start is alongside the famous Sandcastle Waterpark on Blackpool’s Southern Promenade, the stage officially de-neutralises three miles down the coast at Lytham St Annes. Brimming with tradition, you’ll find continental markets, flourishing gardens and stylish restaurants.

Liverpool

2008 brings a spectacle of events to the city as Liverpool celebrates its European Capital of Culture status, including of course the climax of this year’s Tour of Britain.

Birthplace of The Beatles and England's most successful footballing city, it is also home to the largest collection of national museums and galleries outside of London and the UK's only Biennial Festival of Contemporary Visual Art, the Liverpool Biennial.

Liverpool’s architecture is world-class, with more listed buildings than any city outside London. The heart of the city and its waterfront sit proudly alongside treasures like the Taj Mahal and Pyramids at Giza as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The new Liverpool ONE development offers more than 160 famous high street stores, ultra-hip fashion brands, cool independent boutiques, cafés and restaurants to the city centre. With phase one now open, visitors can enjoy many of the shops, including the flagship Debenhams and new John Lewis store! Shopaholics will be delighted even more when the rest of Liverpool ONE opens in full on 1st October bringing the heart of the city to life day and night. The stunning offer within Liverpool ONE covers a massive area modelled on new and historic streets, combining over 30 new and existing buildings.

This year’s Tour of Britain finishes with six laps of an exciting circuit at the heart of the city that will allow spectators the chance to see the riders in action several times as they do battle for the overall victory.

The race itself will finish on The Strand, in the shadow of the Liver Building, one of Liverpool’s ‘Three Graces’, that make up part of the city’s iconic waterfront.

Okm	Blackpool Sandcastle	11:30
4km	Warton	11:55
35km	Tarleton	12:40
51km	Southport : Sprint	13:00
59km	Formby	13:15
69km	Thornton	13:30
84km	Liverpool, The Strand : Sprint	13:50
85km	Liverpool: Churchill Way : KOM x3	13:55
102km	Liverpool, The Strand : Sprint	14:15
110km	Liverpool, The Strand	14:25