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Wout van Aert wins Tour of Britain title as Carlos Rodríguez takes final stage

• Van Aert’s second-place finish enough to secure second title
• ‘I had a really hard time. I didn’t think it was possible’

Second place on the climbing stage into Caerphilly secured Wout van Aert his second overall title in the Tour of Britain. Compared with his 2021 victory , however, this was far from straightforward although his fine form had been clear from day one.

Through the hills of south Wales, Ineos’s Spanish starlet Carlos Rodríguez, the eventual stage winner, formed an impromptu alliance with local rider Steve Williams to push Van Aert to the edge, in the first of the eight stages where the Belgian’s Jumbo-Visma team were unable to exert any real grip on proceedings.

After Williams – who was guesting for Great Britain here – and Rodríguez had sprung clear on the climb of Bryn Du, high above Aberdare in the heart of the Rhondda, Van Aert’s teammates had been scattered to the four winds on the high moorland and the two strongest climbers in the race were rapidly forging a healthy advantage ahead of a small chase group, Van Aert faced the prospect of losing the race lead he had taken in winning Thursday’s stage into Felixstowe . “I had a really hard time, I didn’t think it was possible to take the general classification.”

The 28-year-old’s only option was to remain calm and hope that enough of his teammates could battle their way up to him, and that they and other squads would take the strain before the race arrived at the final brace of climbs over Caerphilly Mountain in the last eight miles. “I tried to stay calm, as I knew there were two climbers in front, and they would spend a lot of energy getting to the finish circuit.”

In the hiatus while he waited for Steven Kruijswijk and Nathan Van Hooydonck to catch up, Williams and Rodríguez raced into a lead that briefly exceeded 90 seconds.

With several other teams assisting Jumbo-Visma, the duo’s lead evaporated like the puddles from the rain showers that had greeted the race when it entered the hills, and on reaching Caerphilly they were only a handful of seconds ahead.

The first climb of the mountain broke Williams, a 27-year-old from Aberystwyth who has quietly forged a good career racing for the Bahrain-Merida and Israel-Premier Tech team, and who this year had won the Arctic Race of Norway. Rodríguez forged ahead on his own, but although he has had an outstanding year with a stage win and fifth overall in the Tour de France, he was less of a threat to Van Aert, having lost time in a crash in the Cotswolds on Saturday’s stage into Gloucester.

The Spaniard needed to finish 40sec ahead of Van Aert and his 20sec advantage with one 7km lap of the finish circuit put the race in the balance. With no teammates left at his side, the Belgian had to control the Spaniard’s lead while simultaneously ensuring that he did not crack, and that he did not lose ground to three threats for the overall title: Rodríguez’s Ineos teammate Magnus Sheffield, the Norwegian Tobias Johannessen and the Australian Damien Howson, all of whom were a slender 3sec behind him overall.

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While Rodríguez did give the Ineos team a consolatory stage win after the withdrawal of their marquee rider Tom Pidcock on Saturday, he was only 11sec ahead of Van Aert on the line, giving the Belgian his third road race win of 2023. He has had a frustrating mid-season, and it was about time he got the rub of the green.

This was a fine crescendo to a slow-burning week marked by six mass finishes in the first six stages, with 52 riders level on time 3sec behind Van Aert after Friday’s stage into Harlow , but it was far from plain sailing, with this most important climbing stage in effect split into two by a lengthy pause from racing with between 87km and 77km to go, when the race briefly stopped twice and then took a diversion to avoid a stretch of road which had been closed by an accident involving a motorcyclist. The incident was unrelated to the race, but it meant that the entire convoy had to be guided through back streets with racing neutralised and the bunch travelling at controlled speed.

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Tour of Britain 2023 route map: Stages list, road closures, TV coverage and where to watch stage 2 today

Dutch rider olav kooij sprinted to victory in stage 1, ahead of his belgian jumbo-visma teammate wout van aert.

The 2023 Tour of Britain is taking place this week, with Wrexham in north Wales playing host to stage 2 on Monday.

It is the first time the tour has visited Wrexham in eight years, and will be the second shortest point-to-point road stage in tour history, beating only the finale of the 2006 race.

Dutch rider Olav Kooij sprinted a stage 1 victory on Sunday, ahead of his Belgian Jumbo-Visma teammate Wout van Aert.

Ireland’s Sam Bennett was third, with Britain’s Tom Pidcock, who is one of the main contenders for the title, finishing safely in 12th.

What is the Tour of Britain route today?

The 109.9km route both begins and ends in Wrexham. The route comprises a clockwise loop that passes across the border into Cheshire, before returning to Welsh soil after Threapwood.

Passing the famous Beeston Castle and the Peckforton Hills, the route heads back into Wales via Malpas, looping through Bangor-on-Dee and Ruabon before heading back into Wrexham for the thrilling sprint finish on Chester Street.

The finish is the same as that used when Wrexham last hosted the race in 2015, when Elia Viviani won a three-way sprint against André Greipel and Mark Cavendish in front of an estimated 10,000 spectators.

Here is the route breakdown, with approximate timings:

• Wrexham, Chester Street – 11.45am
• Llay – 12.06pm
• Gresford – 12.10pm
• Rossett – 12.15pm
• Holt – 12.25pm
• Malpas – 1.14pm
• Bangor-on-Dee – 1.30pm
• Penley – 1.52pm
• Overton – 2.00pm
• Eyton – 2.10pm
• Johnstown – 2.15pm
• Ruabon – 2.17pm
• Rhos – 2.24pm
• Wrexham, Chester Street – 2.37pm

You can find the full, detailed stage 2 timetable, including road closures, here .

Tour of Britain stage schedule Grand Depart  | Sunday 3 September | Greater Manchester: Altrincham > Manchester Stage 2  | Monday 4 September | Wrexham > Wrexham Stage 3  | Tuesday 5 September | Goole > Beverley Stage 4 | Wednesday 6 September | Sherwood Forest > Newark-on-Trent Stage 5  | Thursday 7 September | Felixstowe > Felixstowe Stage 6  | Friday 8 September | Southend-on-Sea > Harlow Stage 7  | Saturday 9 September | Tewkesbury > Gloucester Stage 8  | Sunday 10 September | Margam Country Park > Caerphilly

How can I watch the Tour of Britain?

ITV4 is broadcasting all eight stages of the 2023 Tour of Britain in their entirety. A one-hour highlights show will also be shown each evening.

ITV4 is available on Freeview (channel 25), Freesat (channel 117), Sky (channel 120), Virgin Media (channel 118) and the ITV X (online) in the UK.

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Tour of Britain 2023: Route details, startlist and jerseys guide

The Tour of Britain 2023 begins on Sunday September 3 - here's all you need to know

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After a truncated edition in 2022 due to police having to head off to administer the Queen's funeral, Britain's biggest race - the Tour of Britain - returns for (hopefully) a full run in 2023. 

It's a much more compact edition this year with the race taking place mostly in the middle of the country so if you're anywhere south of Manchester and north of Reading you have precious few excuses for not getting to the roadside to cheer on your favourite rider.

Among the riders set to light up the race are previous winner Wout van Aert and 2022 second place finisher Tom Pidcock , who'll hope to go one better in 2023.

Tour of Britain overview

Tour of britain 2023 route.

Stage 1,   Sunday 3 September

Route: Greater Manchester to Altrincham 

Today's route is near identical to the final stage of the 2019 tour, starting in Altrincham and travelling to Manchester in an anti-clockwise direction taking in the surrounding area’s undulating terrain, including the category two climb of Grains Bar (2.4km at 5.8%) and category one Ramsbottom Rake (1.3km at 8.8%). Those climbs might not sound like much, but together with a number of unclassified rises were enough to significantly reduce the peloton to just a few dozen riders after Ineos Grenadiers applied the pressure. 

The race did eventually culminate in a reduced bunch sprint won by Mathieu van der Poel, but not before we were entertained by a relentless flurry of attacks as teams struggled for control.

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Expect a similar type of rider to triumph today.

Stage 2, Monday 4 September

Route: Wrexham to Wrexham

At just 109.9km, this is a remarkably short stage by any standards, and as a result could witness some atypical racing. Shorter stages tend to produce more intense racing, with riders able to attack earlier on in the knowledge that they won't have to sustain their efforts for as long.

So although the route doesn’t offer many springboards to launch attacks, travelling westwards across the border and into Cheshire rather than eastwards towards the hills of the Clwydian Range to the west, expect riders to try their luck regardless.

Most important of all will be the Eyton Hill, the category three climb summited with just 18.5km left to ride. It’s close enough to the finish for attackers to fully commit themselves, but will the shallow gradients (averaging only around two and three percent) be enough to establish meaningful gaps?

Stage 3, Tuesday 5 September

Route: Goole to Beverley

Setting off from the small market town of Goole, the riders will head north-eastwards to Bridlington, from where they will travel southwards along the coast and then inland again for a finish in Beverley. For the residents of Beverley, this will be a chance to witness a stage finish after the minster town had previously hosted the beginning of Tour de Yorkshire stages in 2016 and 2018, the former won by Harry Tanfield from a successful break, the latter by Dylan Groenewegen in a sprint.

Much like the course of the town’s famous racecourse, the parcours today before arriving at Beverly is mostly flat, but there are a few potential obstacles to overcome if this is to be a sprint finish. The category three hills up Towthorpe Lane and Langtoft must both be climbed during the first of the stage, and after that comes a stretch of about 35km near the coastline which could, if the wind blows strong and in the right direction, cause echelons. But this should in theory be the most nailed-on stage for the sprinters so far.

Stage 4, Wednesday 6 September

Route: Sherwood Forest to Newark-on-Trent

After setting off from Edwinstone in Sherwood Forest, famous for its association with Robin Hood, the riders face the first to the day’s two category three climbs, Kilton Hill, just 15km into the stage. Then, after briefly crossing into Yorkshire and riding through Haworth, where a monument to Tom Simpsons can be found, they will travel southwards again to tackle the next climb, Red Hill Lane.

There’s a whole 85km between the top of Red Hill Lane and the finish, so plenty of time for the race to settle down for a bunch sprint.

Stage 5, Thursday 7 September

Route: Felixstowe to Felixstowe

Perhaps to make up for the lack of any difficult terrain, the organisers have rendered stage five less straightforward than it would otherwise have been by extending it to a total of 192.4km. That makes it by far the longest stage of the race, and could prevent this from being the predictable sprint stage it looks on paper.

Small undulations in the road that would otherwise have been passed over without a second though will sting the legs of the weaker riders, and being so close to the coast a crosswind could encourage a strong team to the front on any exposed roads.

Stage 6, Friday 8 September

Route: Southend-on-Sea to Harlow

Today’s stage is likely to be the last chance for the sprinters to compete for a stage win. And it should be about as nailed-on for them as any stage in the year’s race — there is only one official climb to be overcome, and it’s only a mild category three one tackled with 46km left between its summit and the finish for the peloton to bring back any optimistic attackers who try to use its shallow gradients to get away.

Stage 7, Saturday 9 September

Route: Tewkesbury to Gloucester

The organisers have made the most of the lumpy terrain of the Cotswolds to devise a route that should be selective, and one of the most important days in the GC race.

There is one climb up the category two Winchcombe Hill just 20km after the roll-out in Tewksbury, but the real action will be reserved for the final 30km. First the category two Crawley Hill, which features a nasty ramp at over 20%, then an uncategorized yet deceptively hard 3km rise to the village of Edge, which includes a similarly sharp ramp of 15%.

Stage 8, Sunday 10 September

Route: Margam Country Park to Caerphilly

The climbs to be taken on might not be especially different than those that have preceded them earlier in the week, but there is still a notable upgrade in terms of severity.

That’s clear when the race heads up to the outskirts of Bannau Brycheiniog (formerly Brecon Beacons) national park to take on the first two climbs of the day, Rhigos and Bryn Du, which have both been designated the maximum difficulty racing of category one.

And after a 35km south-easterly trek from the top of the latter comes a double-ascent of the day’s most important climb, and the one on which the entire fate of the Tour of Britain could be decided — Caerphilly Mountain.

In truth it’s more of a hill than a mountain, lasting just 1.3km, but that’s still enough road for its viscous average gradient of 10% to really sting and force a selection.

Tour of Britain startlist

Movistar Team 

DS Max Sciandri 

1 Gonzalo Serrano ESP

2 Will Barta USA

3 Imanol Erviti ESP

4 Max Kanter GER

5 Gregor Mühlberger AUT

6 Óscar Rodríguez ESP

INEOS Grenadiers 

DS Roger Hammond / Ian Stannard 

11 Tom Pidcock GBR

12 Carlos Rodriguez ESP

13 Luke Rowe GBR

14 Connor Swift GBR

15 Josh Tarling* GBR

16 Ben Turner GBR

Bingoal WB 

DS Alessandro Spezialetti 

21 Floris de Tier BEL

22 Johan Meens BEL

23 Davide Persico* ITA

24 Dimitri Peyskens BEL

25 Lennert Teugels BEL

26 Kenneth van Rooy BEL

Great Britain  

DS John Herety / Matt Brammeier 

31 Ethan Vernon GBR

32 Jack Brough* GBR

33 Josh Giddings* GBR

34 Noah Hobbs* GBR

35 Oliver Wood GBR

36 Stephen Williams GBR

BORA hansgrohe 

DS Jens Zemke / Heinrich Haussler 

41 Sam Bennett IRL

42 Patrick Gamper AUT

43 Nils Politt GER

44 Max Schachmann GER

45 Ide Schelling NED

46 Danny Van Poppel NED

Bolton Equities Black Spoke Cycling  

DS Franky Van Haesebroucke / Greg Henderson 

51 Jacob Scott GBR

52 Matt Bostock GBR

53 James Fouche NZL

54 James Oram NZL

55 Mark Stewart GBR

56 Rory Townsend IRL

Global 6 Cycling 

DS James Mitri / Luis Gerrado 

61 Nicolas Sessler BRA

62 Giacomo Ballabio ITA

63 Tomoya Koyama JPN

64 Ivan Moreno ESP

65 Callum Ormiston RSA

66 Tom Wirtgen LUX

Jumbo Visma 

DS Arthur van Dongen / Maarten Wynants 

71 Wout van Aert BEL

72 Edoardo Affini ITA

73 Steven Kruijswijk NED

74 Olav Kooij* NED

75 Jos van Emden NED

76 Nathan van Hooydonck BEL

Equipo Kern Pharma 

DS Pablo Urtasun 

81 Roger Adrià ESP

82 Igor Arrieta* ESP

83 Iñigo Elosegui ESP

84 José Félix Parra ESP

85 Ibon Ruiz ESP

86 Danny van der Tuuk NED

Saint Piran 

DS Steve Lampier / Julian Winn 

91 Alexander Richardson GBR

92 Harry Birchill* GBR

93 Finn Crockett GBR

94 Zeb Kyffin GBR

95 Jack Rootkin-Gray* GBR

96 Bradley Symonds GBR

Team dsm - firmenich 

DS Matt Winston 

101 Tobias Lund Arnesen DEN

102 Patrick Eddy* AUS

103 Enzo Leijnse* NED

104 Niklas Märkl GER

105 Tim Naberman NED

106 Casper van Uden* NED

Q36.5 Pro Cycling 

DS Aart Vierhouten / Rik Reinerink 

111 Mark Donovan GBR

112 Damian Howson AUS

113 Kamil Malecki POL

114 Nicolò Parisini ITA

115 Joey Rosskopf USA

116 Szymon Sajnok POL

TDT - Unibet 

DS Rob Harmeling / Julia Soek 

121 Harry Tanfield GBR

122 Joren Bloem NED

123 Davide Bomboi BEL

124 Jordy Bouts BEL

125 Abram Stockman BEL

126 Hartthijs de Vries NED

Team Flanders - Baloise 

DS Hans De Clerq / Andy Missotten 

131 Kamiel Bonneu BEL

132 Sander De Pestel BEL

133 Milan Fretin* BEL

134 Elias Maris BEL

135 Ward Vanhoof BEL

136 Aaron Verwilst BEL

Trinity Racing 

DS Peter Kennaugh / Jon Mould 

141 Luke Lamperti* USA

142 Robert Donaldson* GBR

143 Luksas Nerukar* GBR

144 Finlay Pickering* GBR

145 Ollie Reese* GBR

146 Max Walker* GBR

Uno-X Pro Cycling 

DS Gino van Oudenhove / Arne Gunnar Ensrud 

151 Alexander Kristoff NOR

152 Frederik Dversnes NOR

153 Tord Gudmestad* NOR

154 Tobias Halland Johannssen NOR

155 Ramus Tiller NOR

156 Martin Urianstad NOR

* Denotes eligibility for the young rider jersey as under-23 

TOUR of Britain PAST WINNERS IN THE LAST 10 YEARS

2012: Nathan Haas (Aus)

2013: Bradley Wiggins (GBr)

2014: Dylan van Baarle (Ned)

2015: Edvald Boasson Hgen (Nor)

2016: Steve cummings (GBr)

2017: Lars Boom (Ned)

2018: Julian Alaphilippe (Fra)

2019: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned)

2020: No race

2021: Wout van Aert (Bel)

2022: Gonzalo Serrano (Esp)

Tour of Britain jersey guide

Blue: GC leader jersey

The best overall rider in the race calculated by the cumulative time they take on each stage.

Green: cottages.com sprints jersey

The first 10 riders each day get points as follows: 25, 18, 12, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Intermediate sprint points are awarded to the first five riders on a 10, 7, 5, 3 ,1 basis.

Black: Pinarello KOM jersey

First-category climbs give the first 10 riders points in descending order from 10. Second-cat climbs work the same for the first six riders, the first getting six points, while third-cat climbs see the first rider get four points.

White: young rider's jersey

Awarded to the best placed GC rider who is also under-23.

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Stephen Puddicombe is a freelance journalist for Cycling Weekly , who regularly contributes to our World Tour racing coverage with race reports, news stories, interviews and features. Outside of cycling, he also enjoys writing about film and TV - but you won't find much of that content embedded into his CW articles. 

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2022 Tour of Britain route: full details and analysis

A stage-by-stage breakdown with insight from route director Andy Hawes

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

John Whitney

The bookends of the 2022 Tour of Britain are almost a reversal of last year, with a start in Aberdeen and a finish in southern England, this time via a first visit to the Isle of Wight.

It’s an unpredictable route, with few stages you could guarantee will be won by any one type of rider.

Route director Andy Hawes says the 2022 Tour of Britain teams will have to keep a close eye on the road book and use all the tools at their disposal to solve the questions each stage will pose.

Highlights include an opening-stage summit finish at the Glenshee Ski Centre, deep in the wonderful Cairngorms, and a roving route around the Isle of Wight that covers every corner of the island.

Tour of Britain – stage guide

• Stage 1: Aberdeen – Glenshee Ski Centre
• Stage 2: Hawick – Duns
• Stage 3: Durham – Sunderland
• Stage 4: Redcar – Helmsley
• Stage 5: West Bridgford – Mansfield
• Stage 6: Tewkesbury – Gloucester
• Stage 7: West Bay – Ferndown
• Stage 8: Ryde – The Needles

Aberdeen – Glenshee Ski Centre

• When: Sunday 4 September
• Distance: 180.8km
• Total elevation: 2,512m
• Skoda KOMs: Bennachie Forest (Cat 3); My Lord’s Throat (Cat 3); Suie Road (Cat 2); Glenshee Ski Centre (Cat 1)
• Eisberg Sprints: Inverurie; Alford; Ballater

The 2022 Tour of Britain opens in Aberdeen, in exactly the same spot as Wout van Aert clinched last year’s victory in a gripping finale with home favourite Ethan Hayter.

The riders will start in Union Street, though racing will be neutralised until they cross last year’s finish line.

It’s the modern Tour of Britain’s second visit to Aberdeenshire and, after the start, the roads will be different from last year. “It’s always nice to not tread the same path,” says route director Andy Hawes.

The route heads west, towards the Cairngorms National Park, via popular local climbs My Lord’s Throat and Suie Road. It’s up and down all day, but trending up as the peloton makes its way into the Cairngorms.

The stage finishes at the Glenshee ski station at 650m, a rare summit finish on the first day of a week-long stage race. It’s only the final 3km where it begins to bite and Hawes reckons it’s a “big ring climb”.

“In the past I’d have been worried that a summit finish on stage 1 would have a detrimental effect on the rest of the race, and the last thing we want is someone gaining four minutes and the GC be done.”

He can’t see it playing out like that, and even if there was a big gap on the line, there are many obstacles for the leader to jump before the Isle of Wight finish. “It’s a gorgeous climb,” adds Hawes.

“I’m in two minds about what I want the weather to be. I’ve seen it in glorious sunshine, and on darker days like you would expect, and they’re both amazing. It’s so atmospheric, whatever the weather.”

Hawick – Duns

• When: Monday 5 September
• Distance: 174.8km
• Total elevation: 2,547m
• Skoda KOMs: Wanside Rig (Cat 3); Mainslaughter Law (Cat 3); Hardens Hill (Cat 3)
• Eisberg Sprints: Morebattle; Coldstream; Reston

As with last year’s race, this is another hilly week, packed to the gills with climbing.

The previous day’s 2,500 metres of elevation are followed by the same again today and only stage five drops under 2,000m.

We’re again in Scottish Borders territory, but despite the frequency of visits here, Hawes says they’ve found roads, towns and villages they’ve not been to before.

Hawick also hosted the start of stage 7 in 2021, a lumpy stage to Edinburgh won by Yves Lampaert.

The race doesn’t get as far north on this stage, heading out to the east coast town of Eyemouth, before turning around for the Lammermuir Hills, a natural separation between the Borders and East Lothian.

While it will have been hilly up to this point, all three of this day's King of the Mountains sections fall within the final 20km, three 3rd category climbs – Wanside Rig, Mainslaughter Law and Hardens Hill – and taking the peloton close to 450m elevation.

Rather than another summit finish, the peloton must negotiate a fast and open descent, one that, for the best descenders, will tempt them into stern attacks as they head towards the final summit.

“The last 5km is off the side of a mountain down into the finish in Duns,” says Hawes.

“Anybody who gets away on that final KOM could easily come across the line on their own. I can’t see it finishing in a bunch sprint.”

Durham – Sunderland

• When: Tuesday 6 September
• Distance: 163.3km
• Total elevation: 2,518m
• Skoda KOMs: Chapel Fell (Cat 1); Billy Lane (Cat 2); High Moorsley (Cat 3)
• Eisberg Sprints: Stanhope; Bishop Auckland; Ferryhill

County Durham’s Chapel Fell makes an appearance on day three.

At 627m high, it would be the ceiling of many Tours of Britain, but for the earlier visit to the Cairngorms.

The climb begins in the village of St John’s Chapel, averaging 8.3 per cent over almost 4km.

“The riders who are hanging on in there are going to hate it, as you can see the top from a long way off, it’s very open,” says Hawes.

From there, the stage is up and down, with two more KOMs at 98 and 148km, though nothing on the scale of Chapel Fell.

Around the mid-point, the race speeds through Barnard Castle, which will serve as a step in restoring its image as a County Durham market town, rather than the scene for the scandal involving Dominic Cummings, the former advisor of the soon-to-be-former PM.

The day ends in Sunderland, hosting the race for the first time, with a finish in Keel Square. “The city has been very supportive,” says Hawes.

“They’ve hosted a couple of rounds of the Tour Series. Once places host that, everyone gets excited and wonders what comes next. Often, that’s the Tour of Britain, or the Women’s Tour, which they’re in negotiations to host.

Here, we have an opportunity for a bunch sprint, with the hard part earlier in the stage. The break could go and hoover up a lot of the points in the KOM and sprint competitions.”

Redcar – Duncombe Park, Helmsley

• When: Wednesday 7 September
• Distance: 149.5km
• Total elevation: 2,669m
• Skoda KOMs: Robin Hood’s Bay (Cat 1); Egton Bank (Cat 2); Carlton Bank (Cat 1)
• Eisberg Sprints: Whitby; Stokesley; Newgate Bank

Just 40 miles separate the previous night’s finish and the start in Redcar, for what is the toughest stage on paper – the shortest, but with the most climbing (2,669m).

The route heads south down the coast to Whitby, before turning inland to traverse the North York Moors National Park. It’s set to be a great-looking stage, too.

“I’ve driven the length and breadth of this country in this job over the years,” Hawes says, “and I don’t get too many ‘wow’ moments anymore, where you drive round a corner and the view opens up in a grand way. This year, I had it a couple of times on stage four. It’s stunning. If they’re not going up, they’re going down, the only flat part is the neutralised section.”

The toughest climb, says Hawes, is the final KOM, the Category 1 Carlton Bank, around 26km from the finish. The Newgate Bank climb gets a sprint classification, with another downhill finish into Helmsley, similar to the one into Duns on stage two.

Day four marks the long-awaited return to Yorkshire. Since the ASO-backed Tour de Yorkshire launched in 2015, the Tour of Britain has been locked out of the county, but when the race folded, its doors opened once more.

“Redcar was due to be a finish in the 2020 Tour de Yorkshire and they were gutted when it didn’t happen,” says Hawes.

“Then there was the race’s sad demise after that, and we approached them to see if they wanted to host a start and they said absolutely.”

West Bridgford – Mansfield

• When: Thursday 8 September
• Distance: 187km
• Total elevation: 1,691m
• Skoda KOMs: Keyworth (Cat 3); Sparken Hill (Cat 3)
• Eisberg Sprints: Edingley; Retford; Clumber Park

With four chunky stages through mountain ranges of northern Scotland and England, it seems fair to the riders that they get a stage offering something close to a respite.

It’s hardly flat, though – it almost never is in the Tour of Britain – but with 1,691 metres elevation over the longest stage, the peloton can take stock at the start of the second half of the race and plot to make their move – or stay one step ahead.

There was a stage between these two towns in the 2018 race, won in swaggering fashion by Team Sky’s Brit Ian Stannard, a moment of glory at the back end of a career largely in service of others.

The Essex rider retired in 2020, but will be back at the race as a directeur sportif with British development outfit Trinity Racing.

This time, as is his wont, Hawes has plotted an entirely new route. “It’s one of the easier stages, and they’re needed between the harder days.

"We go through village after village, and towns like Retford and Worksop later in the stage, before the super-fast finish in Mansfield.

“This one on paper has bunch sprint written all over it. Every time we come to Nottinghamshire, it’s tough to find genuine KOMs. We’ve got two, rather than three. One early on and one later.

“It’s a typical Nottinghamshire stage. Towns, villages, forests, open country. It’s good, it gives the peloton a chance to decompress a little after four really tough stages. Usually, I would normally like three hard stages then an easier one, but it’s a day later because of the way we’ve moved down the country. The finish is super-wide, if slightly uphill.”

Tewkesbury – Gloucester

• When: Friday 9 September
• Distance: 165.1km
• Total elevation: 2,158m
• Skoda KOMs: Round Hill (Cat 2); Withington Hill (Cat 3); Crowley Hill (Cat 2)
• Eisberg Sprints: Cirencester; Rangeworthy; Dursley

Gloucestershire is a frequent host of the Tour of Britain, but stage 6 marks the first time it has hosted a full stage entirely within its borders.

The start and finish are separated by a little over 10 miles, so fans can easily visit both should they want to.

There are KOM points up for grabs early in the stage, with Round Hill and Withington Hill falling within the first 50 kilometres.

“Depending on the battle for the KOM jersey, I don’t think the peloton will want a break going too early on in this one,” says Hawes.

The race heads south through the Cotswolds, skirting round Cheltenham clockwise, heading through Cirencester, Tetbury and getting as far south as Chipping Sodbury and Yate, just north of Bristol.

They then turn the ship around and head north towards Gloucester. There are climbs throughout this stage, but given we’re spending so much time in the Cotswolds on day six, the peloton gets a lucky break because it could be far hillier. Two sprints fall within the final 50km.

There remains a sting in the tail, though, with an uncategorised climb just 10km from the finish.

“This year more than any it’s important for teams to study the road book and Veloviewer [road mapping software that many teams use before and during stages in their team cars] and plan what they’re going to do,” says Hawes.

“I think that every stage has something in the dying kilometres that, if they’re not paying close attention, then it could catch them out. I don’t think any one stage this week is going to be written down as being for one type of stage or another, or for one type of rider or another.”

West Bay – Ferndown

• When: Saturday 10 September
• Distance: 175.9km
• Total elevation: 2,377m
• Skoda KOMs: Daggers Gate (Cat 3); Whiteways Hill (Cat 2); Okeford Hill (Cat 2)
• Eisberg Sprints: Dorchester; Wareham; Knowlton

Stage 7 should prove a treat for riders and spectators alike. Remarkably, it’s the first time that the modern Tour of Britain (since 2004) has visited Dorset, and Hawes has served up a barnstormer of a route that showcases the county’s wonderful scenery and stiff climbs.

From West Bay, known for its striking golden cliffs, the route runs parallel to the coast down to Weymouth, turning inland through Dorchester and to Hawes’ favourite part of the stage into West Lulworth, close to Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, and into the Isle of Purbeck peninsula and the majestic Corfe Castle.

It’s a tour of some of the coast’s highlights as much as it is a bike race and it’ll be worth tuning in for the helicopter shots of the scenery, as well as the racing.

The route heads inland towards Wareham, Milton Abbas and Wimborne Minster before looping round Ferndown’s town centre for the finish.

“If I was a betting man I’d predict a bunch sprint, the road lends itself to it,” says Hawes. Whatever happens on the road, this is Dorset at its most iconic.

Ryde – The Needles

• When: Sunday 11 September
• Distance: 148.7km
• Total elevation: 2,131m
• Skoda KOMs: Brading Down (Cat 1); Cowleaze Hill (Cat 2); Zig Zag Road/Ventnor (Cat 1); Tennyson Down (Cat 2)
• Eisberg Sprints: Sandown; Yarmouth; Cowes

For the first time, the Tour of Britain arrives on the Isle of Wight . Such are the logistics of getting to the island that the race could only ever start or finish there and, with sporting terrain and wonderful scenery, it’ll be a fitting finale for any bike race.

The island’s size necessitates a route that seems to cover just about every strip of tarmac on the island.

“Yes, we’re pretty much covering the Isle of Wight, that’s definitely ticked off,” says Hawes.

“It’s going to give riders and fans a full flavour of what the island is about.”

Because of how the route traverses the island, fans will be able to catch the race in multiple locations across the day.

“The route crosses over itself but you never get the feeling that you’re close to where you’ve been before. It’s different around every corner," adds Hawes.

“It’s up and down all day. The helicopter camera is going to be busy, there’ll be some classic shots to be had. It’s a fitting final stage. The military road [which runs down the island’s south west] is four metres from the edge of the cliff in places, and it might not be there for much longer with all the erosion.”

The race ends with a 2km climb up to Tennyson Down, the final 400m averaging 9.6 per cent – the toughest finish to a Tour of Britain, organisers reckon.

“I said before last year’s race, don’t be surprised if the jersey changes hands on the final stage, and there it was, with Ethan Hayter losing it on the line to Wout van Aert. Am I going to be as bold this year?

"I don’t know, but I think there will be many wearers of the jersey. Positioning on this final climb will be key if there’s all to play for.”

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Tour of Britain returns to Cumbria and the Scottish Borders for the first time in two years

• Friday 10 September 2021 at 3:52pm

The route the Tour of Britain will be taking today.

The Tour of Britain is back today (10 September) for the first time since 2016.

Hundreds of top cyclists from around the world will take part in one of the sport's most prestigious road races.

The event will go through Cumbria and the Scottish Borders over the next couple of days.

Stage 6 starts in Carlisle this morning at around 10:30 am before heading to Gateshead.

On Saturday 11 September, Stage 7 will go from Hawick to Edinburgh.

Thousands of fans have lined the Tour of Britain route.

School children in Nenthead have been looking forward to the event - they have been making T-shirts and bunting in anticipation.

Their head teacher believes that the cycling superstars can inspire the kids and can leave a legacy for the next generation.

Kate Bainbridge, Head teacher at Nenthead Primary School:

The Cumbrian section of the stage will go through large parts of the popular Sea to Sea route, including the climb of Hartside near Melmerby.

Carlisle has a long history with the cycle race, having first welcomed the race in 2005 and then back again in 2012, 2013 and 2016.

In 2019, more than 10,000 spectators flocked to Cumbria for the event which generated more than £1.5 million for the local economy.

The race was scheduled to return to the region for the third consecutive year in 2020, but the  coronavirus pandemic  put brakes on the plans.

The Tour of Britain  started on Sunday 5 and ends on Sunday 12 September - starting in Penzance and finishing in Aberdeen.

More on Tour of Britain:

Tour of Britain returns to Carlisle later in the year

Tour of Britain will return to Cumbria and the Borders this summer

Tour of Britain postponed until September 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic

Tour of Britain 2023: The Route

The Tour of Britain opens on a 163.6 kilometres route from Altrincham to the finish on Deansgate in Manchester city centre. No time to dillydally, as the 1st stage includes almost 2,000 metres of climbing.

The 2nd stage is definitely sprinters material. Merely 109.9 kilometres long and the elevation gain does not exceed 800 metres. Both start and finish are in Wrexham.

Stage 3 is even flatter, as it’s 45 kilometres longer and there’s less climbing to do. The start is in Goole and the finish in Beverley.

The 4th stage sets off from the Sherwood Forest visitor centre near Edwinstowe to arrive 166.6 kilometres later in Newark-on-Trent, where Fernando Gaviria sprinted to victory six years ago. The route takes in an altitude gain of almost 1,000 metres.

The 5th stage comprises a loop north of start and finish venue Felixstowe. At 192.4 kilometres it’s the longest race of the entire Tour of Britain, while the elevation gain does not exceed 1,000 metes.

At 146.2 kilometres, the 6th stage of the Tour Britain travels on flat to rolling terrain from Southend-on-Sea to Harlow. Again, a bunch sprint is the most likely outcome.

The GC action is, with two hilly endeavours in a row, saved for the final weekend. Adding up to 170.9 kilometres, the 7th stage goes from Tewkesbury to Gloucester. The riders are to conquer 1,841 vertical metres.

The final stage of the Tour of Britain is a lumpy test of 166.8 kilometres with an elevation gain of 2,500 metres. The last 15 kilometres feature a double ascent of Caerphilly Mountain – 1.7 kilometres at 8.3% – before the finale is a flying descent into Caerphilly.

Tour of Britain 2023: routes, profiles, more

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Tour of Britain RECAP: Where are they now? Stage 4 race updates Gateshead to Kendal

Thousands watched the Tour of Britain cycling race yesterday as it passed from Berwick through Northumberland and finished on Newcastle's Grey Street

• Updated 21:43, 10 SEP 2019

Thousands of people cheered on the Tour of Britain cyclists as they passed through the North East on Monday.

Covering 114 miles and passing through Northumberland and North Tyneside , riders finished on Grey Street in Newcastle city centre shortly before 4pm.

The world’s elite riders set off for stage 3 of the event from Berwick at around 11am on a day filled with drama.

Stage 4 of the event gets under way on  Gateshead Quayside today (Tuesday) and will go on to pass The Angel of the North. Read our guide to the Stage 4 route in full.

It will go through various Gateshead suburbs, parts of County Durham and across to Kendal. There will be some road closures in place along the route.

The eight-day OVO Energy Tour of Britain will finally end in Manchester on September 14, having been covered live throughout on ITV4.

The Tour of Britain was last held in Newcastle in 2009 and previously came to Northumberland in both 2015 and 2017.

We will have updates below.

• New Tour of Britain leaderboard 15:51
• Van der Poel wins it! 15:40
• Race heading into Kendal 15:34
• Tour of Britain road closures for stage 4 of cycle race 09:04
• Riders have crossed the finish line 15:51

As the tour heads out of the North East, you can find out about stage 5 from the Liverpool Echo here

Best pics of tour

We have been capturing all the best moments from the Tour of Britain.

Check out our picture gallery here to see what relive the event.

Tour rolls out of North East

After two days of thrilling racing, the Tour of Britain rolled out of the North East on Tuesday.

Thousands turned out to watch some of the biggest names in world cycling battle it out on the region’s road.

After Sunday’s Great North Run and the England’s rugby union team defeating Italy at St James’ Park on Friday, it capped off a sparkling weekend of sport in the North East.

Tuesday’s stage set off from Baltic Square on the Quayside, heading through Gateshead and down into the Weardale countryside ahead of a gruelling 173.2km ride to Kendal, in Cumbria.

The stage was won by the pundits’ favourite to win the Tour overall, Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Team Corendon–Circus).

He struggled to make his mark on the previous day’s sprint finish on Newcastle’s Grey Street but exploded into action on the final stretch of Tuesday’s stage to claim victory.

Speaking to ITV after his win, he said: “It was a bit of a gamble because I didn’t know where the finish line was.

“I got a bit bumped into on the finish line yesterday so went full gas with 300m to go.”

Read the full story here

Who's wearing the jerseys?

New tour of britain leaderboard.

The new general classification standings have been confirmed after an exciting fourth stage.

Mathieu van der Poel goes to the top, just climbing above the man who started as the day as leader, Matteo Trentin.

Jasper de Buyst is in third. Dylan Groenewegen, the man who won on Grey Street, is nowhere to be seen.

Van der Poel crosses the finish line

What a photo.

Van der Poel wins it!

Wow, wow, wow.

Mathieu van der Poel wins it, attacking powerfully to catch the three riders who’ve led the last few kilometers.

That was an incredible ride by the man many have tipped to win the Tour of Britain.

One of Tony Gallopin, Ben Hermans and James Shaw should have won that but they didn’t seem to be able to coordinate to keep their gap.

Van der Poel capitalised and no one could respond.

The group of three are working together to try and protect their lead but they’re going to start attacking each other soon.

Finish line in sight

Less than 2km to go and these riders are giving it everything heading into Kendal.

The British rider James Shaw is leading right now.

Race heading into Kendal

We’re heading towards the finish line after and hour of thrilling, unpredictable racing.

There are attacks going off the front of the group who are chasing the leaders.

Trentin has gone solo to chase down the group of three to protect his lead.

Tony Gallopin, Ben Hermans and James Shaw are still out alone and heading for the finish line.

Their advantage is hovering around 20 seconds.

Ineos just got on the front of the chasing group to try and close the gap, Mitchelton-Scott weren’t having as much success as they did yesterday.

Tony Gallopin, Ben Hermans and James Shaw are heading into Kendal alone right now.

Can they hold it until the finish line? They’ve got a 17 second advantage.

Mitchelton-Scott are on the front of the chasing group keeping race leader Trentin in contention.

He may not be able to win this stage from here but should be able to limit his losses and hold on to the green jersey.

Tony Gallopin attacks

An attack has finally stuck: Tony Gallopin has gone off the front, he’s got a 12 second lead right now.

He’s a serious rider - he’s won a stage at both the Tour de France and the Vuelta previously.

Ineos making waves

After Dylan van Baarle’s massive effort, Ineos riders are really attacking this stage.

Their team director said they were going to ride aggressively today and they are indeed.

They’ve got three riders in this front group and all have tried their luck going off the front after Moscon started the move in the first place.

Pavel Sivakov looking particularly strong as they pass through Kearstwick.

Race hits Kirkby Lonsdale

We’re seeing attack after attack from riders in this very strong group but nothing is sticking so far.

Van der Poel just had a big dig and, although the group is getting strung out, it’s holding together so far.

Race explodes

This race has really exploded in the last 5km or so.

A select group of riders featuring a number of favourites is two minutes up the road.

Van der Poel is digging on the front and playing cat and mouse with Ineos’ Moscon.

Trentin was sitting further back in the group but has riders to help him as try to put him under pressure. He’s got himself back on the front now.

Ineos’ Sivakov has tried to go off the front on a long-range attack too.

This has turned into one hell of a race.

We’ve got a new front group and the peloton has been ripped apart after that categorised climb at Gawthrop.

Team Ineos’ Gianni Moscon went full gas and challenged the riders behind him to follow him.

We’ve got a group of riders, including race leader Trentin (who looked like he was just hanging on for a minute there) and van der Poel, up the road now.

With about 30km to go, this race has been shaken up.

Van Baarle caught

Dylan van Baarle slowed down on the last big climb and he’s been caught by the main group.

The peloton is getting strung out as riders attack off the front.

Trentin looks leggy and van der Poel is on the front having a dig.

With 35km left, things are getting very interesting.

British Canyon DHB rider Tom Stewart just had a crash but he’s up and riding again.

I saw him at the start line and his leg already looked pretty banged up from another crash so he’ll be sore heading into the final big climb of the race.

Sprint results

TV cameras didn’t pick it up live but Dylan Groenewegen and Rory Townsend confirmed as the other sprinters to pick up points there.

Final sprint of the day

Van Baarle just passed the last sprint of the day in Sedbergh.

He’s about 1’40 up the road and has picked up maximum points in all the sprints.

We should see some other sprinters looking for points duking it out for the remaining bonuses when the main group reach it.

Van Baarle in the lead

Axel Dormont has been caught by the peloton with 55km to go.

Dylan van Baarle is out on his own and increasing his time advantage.

He won the Tour of Britain in 2014 and if he can keep up this ride then he would put himself in the driving seat ahead of the team time trial on Thursday.

But, with no help, you’d expect to see him getting caught at some point.

Van Baarle takes control

Dylan van Baarle has gone off alone and is riding his own personal time trial. This is one hell of a ride.

We’re 60km from the finish and heading into more rolling roads.

Dunbar has just dropped off the back of the breakaway and it feels like a big shake up in the race is coming.

Expect to see riders going off the front of the main group and bridging over now.

Ineos may send more men up to help van Baarle who is the race’s virtual leader.

Second sprint

The breakaway just hit the second sprint of the day at Kirkby Stephen.

Meanwhile in the peloton. TV cameras just caught leader Matteo Trentin going back to the car to get bottles for him team. That’s some work ethic.

The peloton are really pushing now and they’ve got the gap down to under two minutes, which realistically isn’t enough for the three riders to go all the way.

Mitchelton-Scott are back on the front, where they spent all day yesterday.

Breakaway being reeled in

The breakaway’s lead is dwindling and the weather looks like it’s on the turn.

If they’re caught, things will start to get very interesting and we could even see another long-range attack as the race ploughs through Cumbria.

I reckon we’re going to see another big move before the day is up.

Less than 100km to go

With less than 100km to go and riders having a feed, the race has settled into a similar shape to yesterday.

The break are around three minutes up the road and confident they can go all the way but the peloton don’t seem overly concerned at the moment.

The peloton will need to start to close that gap soon but we could see another smaller group of riders go off to try and bridge the gap first.

Wind picking up

The race is out in the exposed, hilly countryside of the North Pennines now and the wind is picking up.

There seem to be some crosswinds hitting the main group, which looked a little bit strung out for a while, but it’s holding together.

The breakaway are holding their lead nicely so far.

Best pics from the start line

Our man Iain Buist was down at the start and got some brilliant pictures.

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Tour of Britain Women route revealed, with curtailed 2024 edition set to expand in coming years

Event confirmed to return in 2024 in shortened four-day format from Wales to Greater Manchester

Flo Clifford

Freelance writer.

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The podium of the last Women's Tour in 2022

British Cycling has revealed the route for this summer’s Tour of Britain Women , the revamped version of the flagship British race the Women’s Tour, which will start in north Wales and finish in Greater Manchester.

Starting in Welshpool on Thursday 6 June, the Women’s WorldTour -level stage race, which fills the same calendar slot as the old Women’s Tour, has been shortened from six to four stages this year due to the last-minute nature of British Cycling’s takeover .

The race did not run in 2023 due to financial difficulties and its former promoter Sweetspot liquidated in January, at which point British Cycling stepped in. They announced their intentions to put together a women’s race for June, admitting it would be a battle against time, but it appears they’ve won that battle with details of the race now coming together.

Read more: Four-day Tour of Britain Women appears on UCI calendar for 2024

The national governing body will also manage the equivalent men’s race, now known as the Tour of Britain Men , which will take place in September, also shortened from eight to six stages.

The Tour of Britain Women route

Returning to where the Women’s Tour left off in 2022, the peloton will take to the start line in Welshpool on 6 June for the longest stage of 2024, heading north to finish in Llandudno.

Stage 2 will remain in Wales, starting and finishing in Wrexham and featuring a challenging selection of climbs in the rolling terrain of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley.

The penultimate stage will see the riders cross the border into England for a loop starting and finishing in Warrington, on a flatter day which will favour the sprinters.

The climbs return on the race’s final day, returning to Greater Manchester following the success of the men’s Tour of Britain stage there last summer. The flag will drop at British Cycling’s headquarters at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester before tackling several climbs around the north-west, finishing in Leigh in Wigan.

Speaking at the National Cycling Centre on Monday, race director Rod Ellingworth said: “It’s going to be a challenging course. Stage 1 is going to be the most challenging stage for sure, [followed by] stage 4. I think the GC will come down to the final stage. Weather will play a huge part – if it’s okay weather on stage 1, I think you’ll have a different race come stage 4 – but I think it’s pretty open.

Read more: Rod Ellingworth named as Tour of Britain race director

“Naturally the British roads offer lots of different opportunities – you don’t have the big mountains but there’s certainly some challenging roads, and you don’t need big climbs to make good bike racing either. Where we are in the timescale, I think we’ve got a really good four-day race.”

With all the racing compacted into north Wales and the north-west of England, there will be no long transfers between stages, with sustainability an important consideration for the organisers.

Specific route profiles and more details on the crucial climbs are to be announced in the coming weeks.

British hopeful and former world road race champion Lizzie Deignan , who will be racing as part of a Team GB squad rather than her WorldTour team Lidl-Trek, said: “I’m excited particularly about the harder races around Manchester, the hillier stuff, I think that’ll suit me and I’m excited to be able to race it with the GB team.

“Racing in Britain has always suited me because you have the home crowd, but also the terrain – wherever you are in the country – is relentless. People in the UK are brilliant sports fans and there’s this sense of excitement and thrill at being able to be part of a spectacle like a bike race.”

Designing the race

British Cycling’s chief executive Jon Dutton described this as a ‘reset and re-energise year’ for the race, particularly on the women’s side given the extremely compressed timescale for organising it. Having planned the route in ten weeks, he said: “It’s fair to say none of this has been easy but we believed in this race, these two races.

“I think we’ve got a bit of everything in the four stages, from the climbing to the flat, to sprinting. For the Tour of Britain Men, we’ve announced that we will reduce from eight to six stages, and less might be more – more high quality, compelling racing for those watching from the roadside and on broadcast. We want to stage racing in Wales, England and Scotland and we will satisfy that across the two races this year.”

The races will be funded by a mixture of public funding, broadcast revenue and sponsorships. Dutton said: “We accept that maybe in year one the race has to run at a deficit, but this is about taking a longer-term approach to it. We’re in the process of finalising [broadcast] contracts both domestically and internationally so we’re in a good place.

“We’re excited, we got what we realistically could have expected this year in four and six stages, but again that’s the reset year.

“These two races are the jewel in the crown for domestic, elite international road racing here in Great Britain. If you look at both women and men on the WorldTour, it’s quite astonishing from a GB perspective, and we want to make sure they have the opportunity to ride here on our roads. We’ve invited and all six British UCI Continental teams have accepted, and we also have a very strong GB women’s team that will race, so it will be a real celebration of British women’s international elite road racing.”

It is not yet clear which Women’s WorldTour teams will be in attendance, with participation not mandatory, and the last-minute confirmation of the race possibly a roadblock for some teams.

Future events

Work is already ongoing to expand the races next year, with the women’s edition here to stay after a turbulent few years.

“I think we can offer a brilliant, fixed point in the calendar for women’s racing,” Dutton added. “We’ve spoken to more than 50 local authorities since the start of January. What that’s done is landed where we are today with the Tour of Britain Women, where we will land in September with the Tour of Britain Men, but perhaps more excitingly, we almost have more start and finish locations than we have opportunities for next year, which is really exciting.”

This year’s route features four regular road stages, but a time trial will be re-incorporated in future editions. Ellingworth said: “To put those stages on takes a lot more work, so with the time restrictions that we had we thought, let’s keep it quite simple, let’s put on some good, safe racing and go from there.”

Dutton also indicated that another Tour de France Grand Départ in Great Britain could be in the pipeline.

“We remain absolutely committed to working with UK Sport and government partners. We appreciate what happened in 2014 was absolutely fantastic and we’d love to do everything we can to bring it back. We definitely have the same level of determination for that as we do for [the Tour of Britain races].”

The men’s race, slated for September, is also still in the works, in a similarly curtailed form at six stages compared to the usual eight.

“We want the focus now to be, up to June, on the Tour of Britain Women. The team are almost there with finalising the route for the men’s. We would anticipate somewhere between the end of the women’s race and the start of the Olympics when we will [announce the route],” Dutton said.

Lizzie Deignan

• Team Lidl-Trek
• Nationality United Kingdom
• UCI Wins 41
• Height 1.68m

Tour of Britain Women

• Dates 6 Jun - 9 Jun
• Race Length 0 kms
• Race Category Elite Women

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Where are Britain's Got Talent winners now? From Vegas success to secret splits

Fans of Britain's Got Talent rejoiced on Saturday night as the ITV talent show returned, with hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at the helm for another season filled with both awkward auditions and extraordinary hidden talents. The new series marks the 17th installment of the talent show, which debuted in 2007 and continues to spotlight top-notch acts from across the globe.

With a panel of judges including Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and Bruno Tonioli, the show serves as a springboard for aspiring talents, offering them the opportunity to compete for a coveted spot on the Royal Variety Performance stage - and £250,000.

From the wild and wacky to the performances that tug at the heartstrings, The Standard looks back at all the show’s winners.

2007: Paul Potts

In the inaugural season of the series, Paul Potts, originally a manager at Carphone Warehouse who later became an opera singer emerged as the 2007 winner.

Following his victory, the Bristol native embarked on a global tour, captivating audiences in the US, Toronto and Korea. He also showcased his vocal talents in operas such as The Marriage Of Figaro and Don Carlos.

His remarkable journey was even immortalised in the film One Chance with James Corden portraying him on screen.

Based in Port Talbot with his wife Julie-Ann, he most recent public appearance came in 2022 when he competed on the Masked Singer Germany, revealing himself as Koala during the third episode of the series.

2008: George Sampson

George Sampson was crowned Britain's Got Talent winner at the tender age of 14 with his mesmerising street dance routine.

Despite not making it to the live semi-finals in the first series after an earlier audition, he made a triumphant return in 2008, captivating audiences with his dynamic performance to Mint Royale's rendition of Singin’ In The Rain.

Following his triumph, the song soared to the top of the UK downloads chart, prompting Simon Cowell's record label to invite him to create a video for the track. The young star then ventured into acting, portraying Kyle Stack in Waterloo Road and playing Dean in the musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie.

Sampson has been in a relationship with actress Kazmin Borrer for three years, having met her during a theatre production.

2009: Diversity

In 2009, dance troupe Diversity caused upset when they beat frontrunner Susan Boyle to win the third series.

Following their performance at the Royal Variety Show, the group led by Ashley Banjo embarked on a successful dance career, undertaking several UK tours and even fronting a Sky series, Ashley Banjo’s Secret Dance Crew.

Now, Ashley now serves as a judge on ITV’s Dancing On Ice. The troupe is no stranger to the ice with member Perri Kiely competing on the series in 2020. He has also appeared on Celebrity Great British Bake Off and Splash!.

Simon Cowell shares debilitating health condition that flares up during BGT filming

Simon Cowell reveals Britain's Got Talent was almost cancelled as he teases spin-off

Ant and Dec reveal Britain's Got Talent to break show record ahead of return

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Elsewhere, Kiely along with fellow dancer Jordan Banjo have also turned their attention to radio and present KISS Breakfast with Jordan & Perri. The troupe continues to tour.

2010: Spelbound

Spelbound, a gymnastics ensemble, captivated judges in 2010 with their breathtaking flips, leaps, and stunts, clinching victory.

Post-BGT, the group underwent several lineup changes as some members retired while others pursued higher education.

They delivered two remarkable routines at the close of the London 2012 Olympic Games and were featured in a Channel 4 telethon before returning to the Royal Variety Performance later that year.

They have also performed around the world including places such as Doha, Portugal and Spain. Since winning, many of their members have now left to be gymnastic coaches or to pursue solo careers.

2011: Jai MacDowall

Scottish singer Jai MacDowall captivated both the audience and judges in 2011 with his spellbinding vocals on BGT following years of auditioning for shows like The X Factor and American Idol.

He continued to impress on the BGT tour before securing a record deal with Simon Cowell's label, Syco, in 2011. MacDowall headlined a sold-out show at the Grand Hall in Kilmarnock and later shared the stage with Josh Groban at the Royal Concert Hall.

Following the release of his debut album under Cowell's label, he was dropped by Syco in 2012 and was signed elsewhere. He returned to Britain's Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, and then released a new single, a cover of John Legend's All Of Me, in 2021.

MacDowall continues to perform, most recently starring in a UK tour of the production Come What May.

2012: Ashleigh and Pudsey

The dynamic dog and owner won the 2012 season of Britain's Got Talent. Pudsey, the talented dancing dog, was impeccably trained by Ashleigh and delivered an adorable routine to the tune of Mission Impossible.

Following their appearance at the Royal Variety Performance, the pair went on to star in their own film, Ashleigh And Pudsey: The Movie. They also made numerous television appearances, including serving as judges on shows like That Dog Can Dance! and Who Let The Dogs Out?

Tragically, Pudsey passed away in 2017, prompting Ashleigh to train a new furry companion named Sully. In 2023, the skilled dog trainer announced that she and Sully had landed a spot on the GB Agility Team.

2013: Attraction

The Hungarian shadow art ensemble delivered a series of poignant performances during the 2013 season of the show.

Their act often moved Amanda to tears, making them the first foreign group to win BGT.

Following their victory, they starred in a TV ad and even landed their own show in Las Vegas. In 2019, they competed on America's Got Talent: The Champions but fell short of reaching the final.

Then, in 2022, a new generation of Attraction members, known as Attraction Juniors, auditioned for BGT again, although they failed to the semi-finals.

2014: Collabro

In 2014, musical theatre singing group Collabro won BGT with a stirring rendition of Stars from Les Miserables.

Following their win, the band, which consisted of Michael Auger, Jamie Lambert, Matthew Pagan, Thomas J. Redgrave and Richard Hadfield, who quit the group in June 2016, released their debut album Stars under Cowell's record label Syco, which soared to the top of the charts.

Collabro then embarked on a successful tour in 2015, and even went on to headline the London Palladium.

Their success continued as they signed a £1million record deal with Sony Masterworks in the US. Despite several other shows and records, they announced in August 2022 their decision to part ways after one final album and tour.

2015: Jules and Matisse

Just three years after Ashleigh and Pudsey, another talented performing dog act claimed victory, but not without controversy, when it was discovered that Jules O’Dwyer had incorporated a second dog, Chase (bearing a resemblance to Matisse), in the final performance.

Although Ofcom determined that guidelines had been breached with viewers being misled, and despite over 200 Ofcom complaints, Cowell allowed O’Dwyer to kept £250,000 prize money.

O’Dwyer now resides in Belgium with her wife Marie France, having said that she struggled to adapt to her newfound fame.

2016: Lance Corporal Richard Jones

Lance Corporal Richard Jones, a magician, was crowned BGT winner in 2016.

As the first magician to claim victory on the long-running talent show, the former soldier has since achieved considerable success with his television series Operation Magic and Power of Imagination.

Additionally, he has showcased his magic skills across the UK performing alongside the Band Of The Household Cavalry.

2017: Tokio Myers

Tokio Myers, a pianist and music producer, won the 11th installment of the show. Following his BGT victory, he released his debut album Our Generation, which went gold in 2021.

Since then, Myers has teamed up with music sensation Ed Sheeran and even clinched Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the Classic Brits in 2018.

Additionally, he contributed to the charity single Bridge Over Troubled Water for the Grenfell Tower fire victims. Now with three Classical Brit Awards under his belt and an appearance on America's Got Talent: The Champions, Tokio is now focusing on philanthropy by aiming to establish a music school for underprivileged children.

2018: Lost Voice Guy

Lee Ridley, famously known as The Lost Voice Guy, captured the hearts of the nation with his comedic prowess in 2018. Nearly six years since his win, he continues to entertain audiences nationwide, has written a book I'm Only In It For The Parking and runs his own merchandise line.

Ridley, who has cerebral palsy, has also co-written and starred in the Radio 4 sitcom Ability as well as BBC Three’s Jerk.

He has also been recognised with a BBC New Comedy award and hosted his own TV show, Lost Voice Guy's Christmas Comedy Club.

2019: Colin Thackery

British Korean War veteran Colin Thackery stands out as one of the show’s most cherished acts and became the oldest-ever winner of Britain's Got Talent aged 89.

His rendition of Wind Beneath My Wings moved audiences to tears, while his semi-final performance featured a heartwarming collaboration with a large group of Chelsea Pensioners.

In 2022, Thackery marked a milestone by releasing his debut single, Love Changes Everything, which soared to Number 13 in the charts.

Additionally, he made a poignant return to BGT the same year, delivering a touching performance alongside the Chelsea Pensioners choir and several other acts.

2020: Jon Courtenay

Comedian Jon Courtenay brought much-needed cheer during the challenging times of the 2020 lockdown. Following his triumph, he embarked on a nationwide tour, What’s it all About?.

Amidst his triumph, the comedic pianist revealed he was diagnosed with skin cancer after a mole discovered during BGT filming turned out to be a melanoma. Fortunately, he received the all-clear and resumed touring with his comedy show.

He has since performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and also fronted a podcast titled Alpha-Bet My Life. Courtenay resides in Mossley with his wife Emma and their two sons, Nathan and Alfie.

2022: Axel Blake

Comedian Axel Blake left a lasting impression on all judges, particularly Simon, who awarded him a golden buzzer on BGT in 2022.

Post-BGT, he made appearances on CBBC's Saturday Mashup and Celebrity Lingo alongside Ellie Taylor.

The following year, Axel participated in America's Got Talent: All Stars but was eliminated in the preliminaries. He continues to tour the UK, with his latest show, Axel Blake- In Style.

2023: Viggo Venn

Norwegian comedian Viggo Venn initially failed to win over Simon during his audition, prompting a buzz out.

However, he defied the odds last year with his uproarious skits, often featuring him donning high-visibility vests, over runners-up magician Cillian O'Connor, 14, and 13-year-old gymnastic dancer Liliana Clifton to win Britain’s Got Talent.

His win earned him a spot at the 2023 Royal Variety Show following his triumph on BGT.

Emmy Awards Nominations 2024

Predictions, limited series.

• Lessons in Chemistry 5/1

Movie/Limited Actress

• Jodie Foster 4/1
• Brie Larson 5/1
• Juno Temple 6/1

Movie/Limited Actor

• Jon Hamm 4/1
• Tom Hollander 11/2
• Andrew Scott 6/1

Drama Series

• The Crown 9/2
• The Morning Show 6/1
• The Gilded Age 7/1

Drama Actress

• Jennifer Aniston 4/1
• Imelda Staunton 4/1
• Emma Stone 5/1

Drama Actor

• Gary Oldman 37/10
• Dominic West 9/2
• Colin Farrell 15/2

Comedy Series

• The Bear 4/1 -
• Abbott Elementary 6/1 -

Comedy Actress

• Ayo Edebiri 71/20 -
• Jean Smart 19/5
• Quinta Brunson 9/2

Comedy Actor

• Jeremy Allen White 82/25 -
• Martin Short 4/1
• Larry David 5/1

‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Winners: Where Are They Now

• Matthew Stewart , Paul Sheehan
• April 27, 2023 3:30PM

By now, “Britain’s Got Talent” viewers know that a winner of the show receives a £250,000 cash prize and a spot in the annual Royal Variety Performance. But, unless they have remained devoted fans of the performers, many may not be aware of where they went next or where some of them have been for the last decade or more. We know you’re curious about them, so why not check our photo gallery of “Britain’s Got Talent” winners and where are they now. You’ll get the scoop on what all 16 winners have been up to since being crowned BGT champs.

A new season of “Britain’s Got Talent” has aired every spring since 2007, with the exception of a pandemic-induced pause in 2021. Viggo Venn entered the winners’ club most recently in June 2023 and thus has the shortest post-win resume. Some have years and years worth of entertainment accomplishments to speak of, while a few have totally stepped away from public life.

To win BGT, a contestant first has to win the support of a majority of judges during their audition and then later be selected as a semifinalist. Since 2014, some have been able to bypass the second step by receiving a Golden Buzzer from a judge or the hosts. They must then earn enough viewer or judge votes to advance to the finals, where a public vote determines the recipient of the grand prize.

Paul Potts (Season 1)

Act: Opera singer Won: June 17, 2007 Winning performance: A rendition of Giacomo Puccini ’s “Nessun dorma”

Now: He has released six studio albums and published the memoir “One Chance,” which was adapted into a film of the same name starring James Corden . He continues to tour and has competed on “America’s Got Talent: The Champions” (winning the superfan vote in his preliminary round) and the German version of “The Masked Singer.”

George Sampson (Season 2)

Act: Street dancer Won: May 31, 2008 Winning performance: A routine set to a remix of “Singin’ in the Rain”

Now: Aside from competing on the sole “BGT” champions season in 2019, he has dabbled in film, TV, and stage acting, most recently participating in the UK tour of “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.” He still holds the title of youngest solo winner in “BGT” history, having been 14 at the time of his victory.

Diversity (Season 3)

Act: Street dancers Won: May 30, 2009 Winning performance: A two-minute routine showcasing a variety of choreographed moves

Now: Following various lineup changes, the group’s membership has grown from 11 to 20. They have toured consistently for the last dozen years. Several members, including Perri Kiely and brothers Ashley Banjo and Jordan Banjo , have appeared as judges, presenters, or contestants on various programs, with Ashley even briefly filling in for an ailing Simon Cowell during the live portion of the 14th “BGT” season.

Spelbound (Season 4)

Act: Gymnastic troupe Won: June 5, 2010 Winning performance: A routine set to “O Fortuna”

Now: The group disbanded in 2015 after head coach Neil Griffiths was arrested on child cruelty charges, which were later dropped. Prior to this incident, they had the honor of performing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Jai McDowall (Season 5)

Act: Singer Won: June 4, 2011 Winning performance: A cover of Josh Groban ’s “To Where You Are”

Now: Since releasing his album “Believe” in 2011, he has put out two EPs and several singles, including a cover of John Legend ’s “All of Me” in 2021. He also competed on the “BGT” champions season. Since 2021, he has performed with Jonathan Ansell in the touring show “Les Musicals.”

Ashleigh and Pudsey (Season 6)

Act: Dog tricks Won: May 12, 2012 Winning performance: Tricks with a “Mission: Impossible” theme

Now: After starring in “Pudsey the Dog: The Movie” (in which he was voiced by “BGT” judge David Walliams ), Pudsey passed away in 2017 at the age of 11. His owner, Ashleigh Butler, has developed a new act with her other dog, Sully , and the two of them have competed on champions seasons of both “America’s Got Talent” and “Britain’s Got Talent.” Butler’s first book, “Happy Puppy, Happy Dog” was published in 2021.

Attraction (Season 7)

Act: Shadow theatre Won: June 8, 2013 Winning performance: An audiovisual tribute to the British monarchy

Now: They remain an intact group, having recently competed on the first season of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions.”” In 2022, Attraction Juniors, a new group developed by original creator Zoltán Szűcs , successfully auditioned for “BGT” but were eliminated prior to the semifinals.

Collabro (Season 8)

Act: Singing group Won: June 7, 2014 Winning performance: A rendition of “Stars” from the musical “Les Misérables”

Now: They released two studio albums as a quintet and then five more as a quartet following the 2016 departure of youngest member Richard Hadfield . In 2020, they were the only “BGT” winners to participate in the second “AGT” champions season. The group disbanded in August 2022, two months before the release of their seventh album.

Jules and Matisse (Season 9)

Act: Dog tricks Won: May 31, 2015 Winning performance: Tricks within a cop-and-robber pantomime

Now: After surviving accusations of cheating during her final performance, Jules O’Dwyer got married and settled back into a private life with her dogs. They did appear as guests on season 10, but they no longer perform and are not active on social media.

Richard Jones (Season 10)

Act: Magician Won: May 28, 2016 Winning performance: Close-up tricks centered on the true story of military hero Fergus Anckorn

Now: He remains the only illusionist to win “BGT” and continues to tour the UK. He also took part in the champions season but did not make it to the semifinal round.

Tokio Myers (Season 11)

Act: Percussionist Won: June 3, 2017 Winning performance: A variation of Hans Zimmer ’s “Interstellar” theme mixed with Rag’n’Bone Man ’s “Human”

Now: His first album, which he released in 2017, was certified gold in 2021. He put out his first EP in 2020 and is reportedly working on several more full-length albums. He has also worked as a BBC radio presenter.

Lost Voice Guy (Season 12)

Act: Stand-up comedian Won: June 3, 2018 Winning performance: A set focused on making light of his cerebral palsy and inability to speak

Now: Lee Ridley, whose voice synthesizer was recently tweaked to reflect his hometown’s dialect, released his “Cerebral LOL-sy” stand-up special in 2022. His first book, “I’m Only in It for the Parking,” was published in 2019. He also took part in both the British and American champions shows.

Colin Thackery (Season 13)

Act: Singer Won: June 2, 2019 Winning performance: A rendition of “Love Changes Everything” from the musical “Aspects of Love”

Now: The 93-year-old Royal Hospital Chelsea resident still performs occasionally, including during Queen Elizabeth II ’s Platinum Jubilee. In 2019, he competed on the champions season and released his first album, “Love Changes Everything.” He remains the oldest winner in “BGT” history by a margin of 41 years.

Jon Courtenay (Season 14)

Act: Comic singer and pianist Won: October 10, 2020 Winning performance: A recital of his humorous original song “Small Things”

Now: The first Golden Buzzer recipient to win “BGT” debuted his “Against the Odds” show, which was inspired by his battle with cancer, in 2022, and is now gearing up for the 2024 show “Bigger.” His self-produced album, “What’s It All About,” was released in 2021.

Axel Blake (Season 15)

Act: Stand-up comedian Won: June 5, 2022 Winning performance: A set focused on how appearing on “BGT” changed his life

Now: His 2023 “In Style” UK comedy tour was filmed for independent release. He has also periodically hosted a live variety show since November 2023.

Viggo Venn (Season 16)

Act: Comedian Won: June 4, 2023 Winning performance: A set that showcased his unique brand of dance and music-infused comedy

Now: His “British Comedian” tour is scheduled to continue through the summer of 2024.

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Tour of Britain 2022 Preview - A hilly profile for home favourite Pidcock

Day one summit finish could prove to be GC decider, with mix of sprints and hills throughout the week

The 18th edition of the modern Tour of Britain kicks off with its northernmost start on Sunday, with 108 riders setting off from Aberdeen ahead of eight stages that will culminate in a first-ever visit to the Isle of Wight.

There's no time trial at this year's race but an opening day summit finish, as well as several hilly stages including the final day, look set to determine the destination of the new-look leader's jersey.

Chief among the contenders for that red jersey will be Ineos Grenadiers, the home team who boast what is on paper easily the strongest squad at this year's race. The Tour of Britain marks the final race of Richie Porte 's career. The 37-year-old, who has Paris-Nice, the Tour de Suisse, and the Critérium du Dauphiné among his career palmarès, is part of a powerful lineup this week.

Tom Pidcock will lead the British team. The 23-year-old, who won on L'Alpe d'Huez at the Tour de France, is among the major favourites for the overall win at the race. As well as Porte, he'll be able to rely on Amstel Gold Race winner Michał Kwiatkowski and Brabantse Pijl winner Magnus Sheffield in his bid for glory.

The other major name in contention for the red jersey is Israel-Premier Tech newcomer Dylan Teuns , who undertakes his first stage race for the team since his mid-season transfer. The Belgian, who won Le Flèche Wallonne this spring, has three race days under his belt since the August 5 move.

Having won the Tour de Pologne, Tour de Wallonie, and Arctic Race of Norway in the past, Teuns is well-suited to this style of race and will be a major contender for the win. Climber Michael Woods is also on the ISN team following his early Vuelta a España abandon, with the duo set to make a formidable pairing as the team searches for valuable UCI points.

Bora-Hansgrohe are the next of the five WorldTour teams lining up at the race. 2019 Tour of Turkey winner Felix Großschartner lines up as the leader at the German squad, the pair also among the favourites for overall glory on the Isle of Man.

Shane Archbold, Jordi Meeus, and Marco Haller will spearhead the team's lead-out train, while Nils Politt is another option to contest for stage victories.

At Team DSM, sprinter Cees Bol will be looking to add to his five-win haul during his time at the squad, which is set to come to a close with him moving on for 2023. The 27-year-old is among the strongest sprinters on the start list and will be confident of a victory, while Chris Hamilton is an option on the hilly stages among a young squad.

Movistar, meanwhile, come equipped with the versatile Matteo Jorgenson , who finished fourth at the Tour de la Provence and was a breakaway staple at the Tour de France. He and Oscar Rodríguez will lead the team's charge as they seek a UCI points haul to stave off the relegation threat.

Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè will be led by the highly rated Filippo Zana, who moves to BikeExchange-Jayco next year, while Sacha Modolo is their man for the sprints. Uno-X have young duo Anthon Charmig and Anders Halland Johannessen to rely on for an overall bid. Trinity Racing, meanwhile, will be led by Thomas Gloag , the young British climber soon to turn pro with Jumbo-Visma.

Walls, Bol, and Modolo are among the top sprinters at the race, look out too for Jake Stewart (Great Britain), Kenneth Van Rooy (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise), and Eduard Prades (Caja Rural-Seguros SGA) in the bid for the blue points jersey.

With red and blue taken, those hoping to compete for the mountain classification will be taking aim at green, while the white intermediate sprint jersey is something extra for the breakaway men to fight for.

Those riders and the rest of the peloton will be doing battle on a varied terrain over the next week, starting with the queen stage of the race in a bold move from the organisers. The opener, 181.3km from 2021 finish host Aberdeen to the Glenshee Ski Centre, will take in three smaller hills before a long drag towards the final climb.

There, the GC hopefuls should do battle on the 8.3km, 3.1% slopes. The toughest test of the day, though, and likely the best place to watch the riders suffer, is the Suie Hill climb at 82.5km. The peloton will be taking on double-digit gradients on the 1.9km, 8.6% hill.

Stage 2 brings more hills, with a cluster of them coming towards the end of the 175.2km run from Hawick to Duns in the Scottish Borders. The day will be marked by rolling roads for the most part, before packing three third-category climbs into the final 25km, the last of which comes just 6km from the line. A day for punchy sprinters and the hilly specialists.

The next day brings the peloton into England for the first time as the race loops around the north-east from Durham to Sunderland. The first-category climb of Chapel Fell (4.1km at 7.8%) is the biggest challenge of the day, but the 163.6km stage is set to be one for the sprinters with a rolling run to the line.

Stage 4 moves further down the North Sea coast as the peloton heads 149.5km from Redcar to Duncombe Park. Despite two first-category climbs along the way – including the Robin Hood's Bay climb lifted from the Tour de Yorkshire – before a downhill run over the last 10km which could suit any late attackers who jump away on the road to the late final intermediate sprint of the day.

The race's fifth stage to Mansfield is set to play host to another sprint finish, with just two third-category climbs dotted along the route of the 186.8km stage. Once again, there are some small lumps and rises in the final kilometres, but not enough to provoke any race-altering attacks.

The peloton races around the south-west of England on stage 6 as they head 170.9km from Tewkesbury to Gloucester. Three small classified climbs are placed throughout the stage but none are close enough to the finish to launch any major attacks. One unclassified 2.2km, 5.7% climb lies 10km from the line, though, which is a chance for someone to disrupt the sprinters.

It's another day, another sprint on stage 7. The race to Ferndown near Bournemouth on the south coast. Again, there are three classified climbs on the route, but none look set to affect the finish, which features the flattest run-in of the race ahead of an uphill dash to the line.

As the race started with a summit finish, it's only right that it concludes with another uphill test. Though not as tough as the Glenshee Ski Centre climb, there are some harsh double-digit gradients on the 400-metre uphill run to The Needles on the Isle of Wight.

The 148.9km stage on the historic first visit to the island criss-crosses all over the Isle of Wight and brings two first-category and two second-category hills (including the finish) as the race draws to a close. The mountain classification could be decided on this final day and, if the GC race is close, that could be settled on the challenging finish at The Needles, too.

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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix

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Prince Harry returning to UK for first time since visiting King Charles following his cancer diagnosis

The Duke of Sussex is due to visit the UK in May for the first major event he has attended in Britain for some time.

Sunday 28 April 2024 13:07, UK

Prince Harry is returning to the UK next month for the first time since his rushed visit to see the King after his cancer diagnosis. 

The Duke of Sussex will attend a ceremony on 8 May marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games .

The service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral is the first major event he has attended in Britain for some time.

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It is not known if any other royals will be in attendance at the service, or if the Duchess of Sussex or the couple's children will be in the UK.

Harry made a brief trip to the UK in February, spending about 45 minutes with his father , who had just started treatment for cancer.

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The duke is expected to provide a reading at the event, which marks a decade since the inaugural Invictus Games in London in 2014.

The games were founded as a sporting event for injured and sick military personnel and veterans.

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Actor Damian Lewis is set to recite the Invictus poem during the service.

Representatives from across the Invictus Games participating nations, including members of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veteran community, will also be in attendance.

Related Topics

• Invictus Games
• Prince Harry
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