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Weekly UpdatesByline: LINDA RICHARDS
IT'S the UK's biggest professional bicycle race and it's returning to the North East.
After starting on September 12 in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, the Tour of Britain's second stage comes to the region the next day.
The North East stage starts at Darlington and heads through Durham, Northumberland and Tyneside finishing at Baltic Square in Gateshead.
Hugh Roberts, chief executive of the Tour of Britain, said: "We are extremely pleased to be bringing the 2009 Tour of Britain back to the North East for a second time.
"Our partners from Newcastle, Gateshead and Darlington councils have provided us with the confidence that Stage 2 from Darlington to Newcastle and Gateshead will be a challenging one for the riders and at the same time an exciting one for all the spectators."
Leaving Darlington at 10.15am, around 100 professional cyclists will compete in a 100-mile race through Sedgefield, Fishburn and Trimdon Village before heading towards Durham, reaching Aykley Heads at around 11.15am.
As the riders pedal north and west from Durham, they will need all their stamina as the races takes on a hillier route towards Lanchester, passing through Burnhope, Maiden Law, Annfield Plan and reaching Harelaw at around 11.35am.
From there, they will head through Burnopfield at 11.40am, to Rowlands Gill, then up the hill to Highfield, Hookergate, Greenside and back down the other side to Crawcrook with spectators catching them at Wylam at around noon.
In the Tyne Valley, the riders will push on to Ovingham, then Harlow Hill, Stamfordham, reaching Belsay at 12.35pm.
The route then takes them to Whalton and on to Morpeth at 12.55pm, before riding east on to the coast, travelling through Bedlington, Blyth, getting to Seaton Sluice around 1.20am, then through Whitley Bay, Tynemouth at 1.35pm to Wallsend at 1.40pm, along the Coast Road, Stephenson Road, Sandyford Road, Portland Road, Crawhill Road, and City Road, reaching Baltic Square at an estimated 1.55pm.
The North East route is one of eight stages of the race which takes place over eight days, ending in London.
Gateshead Council cycling champion Coun Gary Haley said: : "The spectacle of The Tour of Britain will hopefully persuade yet more people to give cycling a go."
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THEIR BIKES: A scene from last year's race as the riders make their way through the country roads of the West Midlands
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