The Tour Series will be returning in 2021, later on in the year compared to normal though. The organisers, SweetSpot, have taken the decision to move the race series from its usual May slot to August 2021. 6 races have been scheduled but the host towns and cities are yet to be announced.
The races will take place in the first two weeks of August and as usual, will feature a men’s and women’s race. ITV4 will continue to host a highlights show, keeping the racing available on free-to-air TV in the UK. ITV’s involvement means it’s usually possible to see Ned Boulting somewhere nearby on race day.
The confirmed dates and locations of the rounds will be announced in the coming months alongside more details on the 2021 Tour Series. The Tour Series has seen a wealth of WorldTour stars take part. 2019 race winner Connor Swift took part in the 2020 Tour de France, 2018 race winners Gabriel Cullaigh and Harry Tanfield are at Movistar and Qhubeka ASSOS respectively. New Ineos Grenadier signing Tom Pidcock was a 2017 race winner. 3-time 2019 winner Jess Roberts is with Team BikeExchange, 2-time 2019 winner Anna Henderson is at Jumbo-Visma. Alice Barnes of Canyon SRAM was a 2016 & 2017 winner and her sister Hannah (Canyon SRAM) won 3 times in 2014.
To keep things active until then, SweetSpot are also looking to host a virtual Tour Series. Particularly as road racing looks like it will be delayed for some time due to COVID-19. They hosted a 3-day Women’s Tour on the RGT platform back in June 2020 once the real-life race was unfortunately cancelled. Shown live on the BBC, Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank dominated the virtual racing and Leah Dixon won the Overall standings. Teammates Lauren Stephens and Kristen Faulkner also kept the racing exciting.
Photo Credit: SWPix
