Tour of Britain 2021: Iconic cycling race to return to Edinburgh and the Lothians

The world’s top professional cyclists will be descending on Edinburgh and the Lothians as an iconic British cycling race returns to the area.

The rescheduled Tour of Britain will once again be snaking through East Lothian and Edinburgh at the start of September to the delight of local cycling fans.

The prestigious race will take place from Sunday, September 5 to Sunday, September 12, with cyclists passing through East Lothian on the 11th for stage seven, starting in Hawick and finishing in Edinburgh.

It enters East Lothian from the Lammermuirs before passing through Gifford and Pencaitland then finishes in the Capital.

Tour of Britain 2021: Iconic cycling race to return to Edinburgh and the Lothians

The race starts in Penzance on the first day, and participants will cover more than 807 miles throughout the route which ends in Aberdeen.

This is the first time the race will end in Scotland since 2008.

Provost of East Lothian, John McMillan, said: “The Tour of Britain’s return to East Lothian is fantastic news. As well as being one of Scotland’s top visitor destinations, East Lothian boasts some fantastic places to see and explore by bike.

“I’m hopeful that the exposure the county will get through coverage of the race will help to highlight some of the wonderful countryside and scenery with which are we are fortunate to be blessed.

“It’s also a terrific opportunity for cycling fans to see some of the world’s top cyclists in action.”

Over the course of the race, up to 1.5 million roadside spectators are expected to turn up and the stages will be also be shown live on television.

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