South West expected to feature after year's absence
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Edvald Boasson Hagen on the final podium at the Tour of Britain with Wout Poels and Owain Doull.(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The peloton in action during the final stage of the 2015 Tour of Britain in London.
Fans cheer the riders up Ditchling Beacon during stage seven of the 2014 Tour of Britain from Camberely to Brighton.
The Aviva Tour of Britain is set to announce the route of the 2016 edition of the race next week. The full route of the 13th running of the race’s most recent incarnation will be unveiled in an event at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery on Thursday, February 25.
Race organisers SweetSpot have been trying to drum up excitement for the official route release, inviting followers to guess where the race will head in September. There have already been several rumours as to which part of the country will be visited by the race.
It is expected that the South West of England will feature heavily this season, after it was completely missed out in the 2015 edition. Return visits to Wales and Scotland have also rumoured for the eight-day race.
The Tour of Britain has been in existence, through various guises, since 1945, and it returned in its latest format in 2004 following a five-year hiatus. Edvald Boasson Hagen won the latest edition following an aggressive performance that saw him beat Wout Poels by 13 seconds.
Due to its late place in the season, the race has often seen as key preparation for the World Championships a week later. However, this year may be a bit different with the Worlds being pushed back to October.
The 2016 Aviva Tour of Britain will take place from September 4-11.
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