Gloucestershire has been announced to be hosting a part of the Tour of Britain cycling race later this year.

The county will host the sixth stage of the eight-stage race on Friday, September 9 as the event works its way down from Aberdeenshire to the Isle of Wight.

It will mark the first time the county will have provided the backdrop for a full day of the event.

Gloucestershire has seen segments of the race before, such as in 2017 and 2014, but 2022 will give people the opportunity to see it across the region for a whole day.

More than 100 of the world’s best riders will compete, with a large crowd comprising both local residents and cycling fans expected to turn out for the free event.

An outline of the route has been announced, with more specific details of where it will exactly go through Gloucestershire to come in Spring 2022.

Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said: “Announcing the locations of the Tour of Britain stages is always a day I look forward to greatly, as I know how much people want to watch the race from their own doorsteps.

READ MORE: What is the Tour of Britain 2022 route?

Last year’s race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.

A roadside crowd of over one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating £29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline.