Nottinghamshire race fans hailed "the best" by Tour of Britain organisers
Tour of Britain organisers have praised the thousands of fans that lined the streets of Nottinghamshire to cheer on the elite cyclists.
The world-famous race returned to the county for the first time since 2018, when the fifth stage from West Bridgford to Mansfield took place on September 8.
However, the 116 mile stage proved to be the final leg of the Tour after the remaining three stages were cancelled following the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II later that day.
Schools, businesses and residents in towns and villages along the route came out in force to watch the showpiece event as the riders passed through Robin Hood Country — with race organisers praising fans for creating a truly unforgettable atmosphere.
Mick Bennett, AJ Bell Tour of Britain race director, said: “It was great to be back in Nottinghamshire after a four-year absence and all I can say is thank you to everybody along the route.
“From the warm welcome the race received upon leaving West Bridgford to the wall of noise as the riders approached the finish line in Mansfield, the atmosphere along the route was truly unforgettable.
“When I say that we love coming here it is no understatement — the Nottinghamshire fans were the best of this year’s race. I’m looking forward to the next time we visit this great county already.”
Councillor Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said he was delighted so many people had come out to cheer on the riders.
He said: “The Nottinghamshire stage of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain proved to be a huge success, just like it did on the two previous occasions the race came here in 2017 and 2018.
“Once again, we have demonstrated that we can successfully stage a major sporting event which will ultimately provide a significant boost for the county’s tourism and economy.
“It was great to see so many people come out to watch the race as it passed through their towns and villages along the route — and I would like to thank the many communities who helped to make Nottinghamshire look absolutely beautiful on the live television coverage.”
The event featured Nottinghamshire rider Ross Lamb, who competes for the Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling team and raced his home stage in a helmet designed by students Brooke Rogers and Grace Deuchars as part of a pre-race competition for schoolchildren run by the county council.
Ross, who completed the stage despite suffering from an illness, said the reaction he received from fans was awesome and that it was a privilege to wear the helmet designed by Brooke and Grace.
He said: “When I watched the race on TV afterwards, the stage looked absolutely beautiful.
“The whole experience was fantastic, and it was great to see all the schools along the route come out to support us and it must have been brilliant for the two winners of the helmet competition to see their designs on TV.
“It was the best stage of the race by far. Somebody asked me after the race if I’d like it to come back here and I said ‘yes, without a shadow of doubt’.
“For the region it’s incredible and there’s a lot of support for the race in the county — as was shown on the day. It was brilliant.”