The Friends of Life Tour of Britain – the UK’s biggest professional cycling race – is back on Sunday 7th September, commencing in Liverpool and finishing in London.

Did you know road race cycling was outlawed in the UK in the late 19th century on the grounds of being unsafe and upsetting motorcar owners? Cyclists were limited to racing on tracks and closed-circuit courses.

At the time of the second world war, leading British cyclist Percy Stallard capitalised on the quiet wartime roads and organised a 50-mile race in 1942 between Llangollen and Wolverhampton. Despite attracting large crowds and being considered a success, all riders involved were suspended due to it being unauthorised by cycling’s governing bodies.

The first real Tour of Britain occurred in 1945 between Brighton and Glasgow, with dozens of riders taking part, and was held annually for seven years.

Over the years many sponsors have created versions of the Tour of Britain, including the Daily Express Tour, the Milk Race run, and the Kellogg’s Tour. A three-year gap in the mid-1990s was followed by the PruTour, which only ran for two years.

After a five-year break, the Tour of Britain returned in 2004 as a five-stage race – the first major stage race in the UK since 1999 – and increased to an eight-stage race in 2008. Some of the biggest names in racing now take part in the tour, attracting huge crowds of supporters up and down the country.

The exciting news this year is that stage four of the race will see the cyclists racing through Gloucestershire on their way to Bristol. The route will take the competitors through Winchcombe, Cleeve Hill and Prestbury, before they make their way through Charlton Kings and Leckhampton.

The last two years have been won by British cyclists – Jonathon Tiernan-Locke (2012) and Sir Bradley Wiggins (2013) – so fingers crossed we get another British winner!

If you’re about on Wednesday 10th September, why not go and support the cyclists on their journey through the county.

Hopefully this has inspired you to take a bike ride and explore the beautiful countryside around Gloucestershire.