The Tour of Britain 2023: How to watch, the route and latest standings

The UK's most prestigious cycle race is underway

The Tour of Britain 2023
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Nail-biting sporting event The Tour of Britain is well underway and fans are wondering how to watch it.

Just weeks after the Women's World Cup saw the Lionesses lose out to winning team Spain under the helm of Sarina Weigman, there's another sport that's got everyone sitting on the edge of their seats and hanging from their rooftops.

The Tour of Britain is currently halfway through - its eight-stage race that is due to be completed on Sunday 10th September 2023. And sporting fans looking to catch a glimpse of the action, as cyclists race through towns and villages in the UK, will want to know how to watch it....

How to watch the Tour of Britain 2023

You can watch The Tour of Britain in person by checking the latest cycle route and standing on the roadside behind the barriers to see the competitors race by. 

But if you've not got the spare time or resources to do that, then fear not, for ITV4 is exclusively broadcasting all eight stages live from start to finish for the fifth edition running, with a special one-hour highlights show following the coverage each evening. ITV4 is available on Freeview (channel 25), Freesat (channel 117), Sky (channel 120), Virgin Media (channel 118) and the ITV Hub (online) in the UK.

Meanwhile, every stage of the 2023 Tour of Britain will be broadcast on GCN in the UK, while the tour can be watched across Europe (excluding France) ad-free on discovery+ and eurosport.com. 

Tour of Britain route

The Tour of Britain route takes in eight different stages; the first took place on Sunday, 3rd September from Altrincham to Manchester, the second on 4th September covered Wrexham to Wrexham. Stage three on Tuesday 5th September saw riders travel from Goole to Beverley. The fourth leg of the race took place on Wednesday 6th September and saw cyclists race from Sherwood Forest to Newark-On-Trent.

The remaining four stages will cover the following routes;

  • Stage 5 - Felixstowe to Felixstowe on Thursday, 7th September.
  • Stage 6 - Southend-on-Sea to Harlow on Friday 8th September.
  • Stage 7 - Tewkesbury to Gloucester on Saturday 9th September.
  • Stage 8 - the finale - Margam Country Park to Caerphilly on Sunday 10th September.

Tour of Britain 2023 route map

(Image credit: TourofBritain.co.uk)

How does the Tour of Britain work?

The Tour of Britain is a British road bicycle race that takes place over multi-stages in which around 100 participants race across the country to complete the race in the fastest time. 

The event is a historical one and dates back to the first British stage races held just after the Second World War. Each leg of the race starts between 10 and 11am and finishes mid-afternoon, often between 3 and 4pm.

Tour of Britain standings

The Tour of Britain standings is the name given to the positions cyclists have secured on the latest leg of the tour. Stage four of the race was completed on Wednesday (6th September) with the cyclists landing the following positions after completing stage four from sherwood Forest to Newark on Trent in 3hrs and 45 minutes:

  1. Olav Kooij - team Jumbo-Visma
  2. Casper Van Uden - team DSM - Firmenich
  3. Ethan Vernon - Great Britain
  4. Milan Fretin - Team Flanders - Baloise
  5. Max Kanter - Movistar Team
  6. Stian Fredheim - Uno-X-Pro Cycling Team

In football news, we've revealed why Australia's team are called The Matildas. Former Lioness Jill Scott recently picked up the women's Merit award at the PFAs, and fans want to know all about her partner Shelly Unitt. Despite her retirement, Jill has remained busy with appearances at Soccer Aid and taking to the jungle in I'm A Celebrity.

Selina Maycock
Senior Family Writer

Selina is a Senior Family Writer for GoodtoKnow and has more than 16 years years of experience. She specialises in royal family news, including the latest activities of Prince George, Charlotte, Louis, Archie and Lilibet. She also covers the latest government, health and charity advice for families. Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism, and gained her NCTJ and NCE qualifications. During her career, she’s also written for Woman, Woman's Own, Woman&Home, and Woman's Weekly as well as Heat magazine, Bang Showbiz - and the Scunthorpe Telegraph. When she's not covering family news, you can find her exploring new countryside walking routes, catching up with friends over good food, or making memories (including award-winning scarecrows!)