The Tour of Britain 2013 Frequently asked questions

What is The Tour of Britain?

The Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest cycle race, which sees over one hundred riders taking part. The race is divided into 8 stages and takes place from Sunday, 15 September through to Sunday, 22 September 2013. The Tour of Britain will celebrate its tenth anniversary in style, with the hardest ever route including the first ever summit finish for a stage and the race's longest ever individual time trial. The Tour attracts international as well as local TV audiences and thousands of spectators.

Stage One Sunday, 15 September, Peebles to Drumlanrig Castle, 201km

Stage Two Monday, 16 September, Cumbria, The Lake District Stage, Carlisle to Kendal, 225km

Stage Three Tuesday, 17 September, Knowsley Individual Time Trial, 16km

Stage Four Wednesday, 18 September, Stoke-on-Trent to Llanberis, 190.9km

Stage Five Thursday, 19 September Machynlleth to Caerphilly 177.1km

Stage Six Friday, 20 September, Sidmouth to Haytor, Dartmoor, 137km

Stage Seven Saturday, 21 September, Epsom to Guildford, 150.4km

Stage Eight Sunday, 22 September, The Stage, 88km

When is The Tour of Britain in Knowsley?

Knowsley will be hosting the stage 3 event, which takes place on Tuesday, 17 September between 12.00 noon until around 15.00 when the stage finishes.

What does stage 3 entail?

Stage 3 is The Tour’s longest ever individual time trial, which will see hundreds of cyclists compete along a 10 mile / 16 kilometre route. The time trial will start and finish at Knowsley Safari Park and take in the surrounding area. Each cyclist will set off individually which means that the event will keep spectators entertained throughout the period of the event as they each pass through trying to secure the fastest time around the circuit.

What is the route?

The Tour starts and finishes at Knowsley Safari Park and the route is predominantly around Prescot and Knowsley Village.

Where can I park?

Full details about the parking arrangements will be issued soon. Parking will be available at Knowsley Safari Park on the day (last entrance is 10am). In addition, there will be a number of park and ride schemes in operation. Further details to follow once confirmed.

Where are the best viewing points?

We anticipate that spectators will gather along the route and in the Knowsley Safari Park. The Safari Park will be the best location to see the start and finish. We’ll be providing information about the various facilities and services along the route soon which will help people to decide where to locate themselves on the day.

Will there be road closures in operation?

Yes – road closures will operate between approximately 10am – 3pm. There will be some limited managed access for key stakeholders along the route up to 11am and further details will be issued in the coming weeks.

Will businesses on the route be affected?

An event of this nature brings lots of opportunities but we also realise that careful planning is needed to support temporary short term arrangements which may be needed for some businesses and organisations on the day.

Will the Safari Drive still be available at the Safari Park on 17 September?

The various shows, walk around area and fun fair will be available for visitors to the Safari Park and these were well used last year. There’ll also be other activities to enhance the experience for visitors. The Safari Drive itself won’t be open on this day due to the scale of the event at the Safari Park.

Will schools be involved this year?

Many schools had a fantastic experience at the event last year and we will be inviting schools to come along to the Safari Park on the day. Alternatively, schools directly on the route may wish to create their own event in their playground and enjoy the Tour of Britain as it passes by. We’ll be contacting schools directly to ensure they can enjoy this fantastic opportunity.

Will other community activities be taking place to support The Tour of Britain?

We know from watching the Tour of Britain, and the Tour de , that communities often create their own smaller events along the route in their communities. If community groups wish to do this, they can make contact with us and we can give them the necessary guidance to help them to plan for a safe and successful event.

We’re also planning something in Eccleston Street on that day as it’s likely that many spectators will be in that area and will benefit from the various services and shops. This is likely to be the same at Knowsley Village and we’ll also be looking at options for some activities there too.

Will the event be televised?

Yes – ITV4 will be airing the entire Tour live throughout each stage. An average audience of 8 million will be tuned in to watch the live coverage.

Will there be sponsorship opportunities for my business?

Yes – a number of sponsorship packages are available. If you are interested in finding out more please let us know and we’ll be happy to discuss this with you in more detail.

What can I do to help plan for the day, minimise disruption and maximise opportunity?

 Contact your staff and let them know what time the closures are so they can plan their journey to and from work on that day, if your business is affected directly by road closures or diversions

The detailed route and timings will be announced shortly. This will include details of road closures and diversions in place. Further details will be available on Knowsley Council’s website – www.knowsley.gov.uk

 Contact your suppliers and see if they can arrange for deliveries to take place earlier or later on 17 September (either side of the event itself)

 Plan your own deliveries around the road closures, for example:

Reduce - can you reschedule customer collection of goods for another? Re-time - can deliveries take place prior to or after the event? Re-route - can the delivery route be changed to avoid affected roads? Re-mode - can goods be collected on foot instead of a van delivery?

 Staff involvement – maybe consider your staff having the opportunity to experience some of the event during the day. If you’d like to attend the event at the Knowsley Safari Park please let us know, alternatively the route could be right by your business or organisation and you may want to enjoy the event there.

How can I find out more details?

Regular updates will be published on our website – www.knowsley.gov.uk

In the meantime, if you require any further information, please contact the council’s Business Support Team in the first instance on 477 4000.