Unite ByCycling, an initiative by The Prostate Cancer Charity in association with The Tour of Britain, will be organising a cyclosportive ride, using the route of one of the Tour’s stages, on 6 September. Run under the umbrella label of the Prostate Charity Tour Ride, the event will comprise three rides over distances of 145km, 70km or 20km.

Pro Tour Ride

The Pro Tour Ride takes in 145km of the Stoke-on-Trent stage of this year’s Tour of Britain, providing a unique chance for riders to test themselves over the same terrain as the professionals will do battle over during The Tour.

The route takes riders out of the city past Trentham Gardens and across the M6 motorway and south via Swynnerton to Eccleshall, then east towards Stone, over the same roads that featured during the closing miles of Stage Four of the 2008 Tour of Britain.

The attractive market town of Stone marks 30km into the Pro Tour Ride, which then follows the Trent Valley to Sandon before heading east and skirting Uttoxeter.

Here the route becomes more challenging, undulating constantly all the way back to Stoke-on-Trent, as it traverses the attractive countryside of the Staffordshire Moorlands and on to the main test of the route, Gun Hill, just after Tittesworth Reservoir.

It’s not quite all downhill back to the Britannia Stadium, but the main climbing is done so riders will be able to enjoy the scenery as they pass Rudyard Reservoir and cross the Churnet Valley near Cheddleton.

The Pro Tour Ride rejoins the other two routes for the final few kilometres back to the start from Barlaston, allowing riders from all three events to ride back to the Britannia Stadium together.

RCUK route preview ride soon.

Challenge Tour Ride

At 70km, the Challenge Tour Ride will be a great way to take on friends and family over a route that still encompasses much of The Tour of Britain stage. The ride follows exactly the same route as the Pro Tour Ride until approximately the 45km mark, just after Millwich.

From here riders will begin to head back towards Stoke-on-Trent rejoining the route of the stage just after Mossgate as the ride climbs up to Rough Close.

It’s then downhill to Barlaston and into the attractive grounds of the Wedgwood Estate where the rides pass in front of the Grade 1 listed, Palladian Barlaston Hall, a one time home of the Wedgwood family, and back into Stoke-on-Trent.

Family Ride

The Family Ride is a fun 20km ride for all the family, allowing groups of all abilities to enjoy the Staffordshire countryside together, whilst helping to fight prostate cancer.

The route soon diverts from that of the longer two rides, switching on to the towpath of the Trent and Mersey Canal as far as Barlaston. The halfway point comes on National Trust land at Downs Banks, an attractive area of wilderness and heath that will lead riders back to Barlaston and the picnic area where riders from all three events can enjoy a well earned rest and reflect on their rides before heading back to the Britannia Stadium to enjoy entertainment and celebrate their day.

For details and to enter visit the Unite ByCycling website