Tour of Britain 2024 Sheffield: All the road closures and best places to watch famous cycle race in the city

The third stage of the famous annual competition will see riders, including Olympic gold medallists Tom Pidcock and Remco Evenepoel, pedal 103.2 miles from Sheffield to Barnsley on Thursday, September 5.

It’s the first time since 2006 that the event has visited Sheffield.

Cyclists will depart from Arundel Gate in Sheffield city centre at 11am that morning and head west past Fulwood to the outskirts of the Peak District.

The route will then take them north, past Stannington, Oughtibridge, Grenoside and Chapeltown, before continuing through Rotherham and Doncaster into Barnsley, where riders are expected to cross the finish line on County Way some time between 2.48pm and 3.35pm.

What roads will be closed for the race?

Arundel Gate in Sheffield city centre will close from approximately 4am on Thursday, September 5 so the set-up for the race can begin.

The teams will be presented on the podium from 9.50am and the stage is due to begin at 11am.

Arundel Gate is expected to reopen at around 3pm that afternoon, once the road has been cleared and barriers removed.

There will then be a rolling road closure to keep cyclists and members of the public safe as the race progresses.

Roads on and around the race route will be closed for around 15 to 30 minutes as the race passes by, with police escort vehicles managing traffic.

The route will be marked with yellow advanced warning signs during the run up to the race, and motorists will be asked not to park along the route between 10am and 2pm on the day of the race.

Within Sheffield, riders will race along roads including: Fulwood Lane, Brown Hills Road, Redmires Road, Lodge Lane, the A57 Manchester Road, A6101 Rvelin Valley Road, Haggsteones Road, Kirk Edge Road, Jawbone Hill, Skew Hill Lane, Wheel Lane and the A6135 Chapletown Road. The full route is available to view at https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/tobmenroute.

How will buses be affected?

Some bus services will be diverted or suspended due to the road closures, with more information about the routes affected available at travelsouthyorkshire.com/tob2024.

There is also information available at southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk/tourofbritain2024 and on the British Cycling Tour of Britain website, from Travel South Yorkshire on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, and by calling Traveline on 0800 952 0002 (weekdays between 7am and 7pm and at weekends/Bank Holidays between 8am and 7pm).

Where are the best places to watch?

Riders will ascend 2,700 metres as they take on some of South Yorkshire’s toughest hills, with categorised King of the Mountains climbs at Loxley, Oughtibridge, and Hound Hill on the outskirts of Barnsley, just four kilometres from the finish line.

Fans will be able to watch teams preparing on Tudor Square, outside the Crucible Theatre, from 9.30am, with the riders being presented to the crowd team-by-team on the podium on Arundel Gate from 9.50am, ahead of the stage starting at 11am.

As well as the start and finish, some of the best places to see the cyclists in action are on the climbs.

The first categorised climb is on Long Lane above Loxley, where the leading cyclists are expected to reach the summit some time between 11.36am and 11.41am.

The second categorised climb will take place at Oughtibridge Lane, or Jawbone Hill, with the 1.7km climb up a 9 per cent gradient having featured in the 2014 Tour de France. Riders are expected to cross the summit there between 11.43am and 11.49am. After leaving Sheffield, the route will wind its way through Wath upon Dearne, Swinton, and Maltby, with the sole intermediate sprint taking place in the market town of Tickhill after 70 kilometres of racing at some time between 12.45pm and 1.05pm.

The route will then skirt Doncaster via Conisbrough and Denaby, before looping around the north of Barnsley through Royston and Darton.

From Penistone, a series of short climbs will culminate in Hound Hill, a testing 1.5-kilometre ascent to Worsbrough Common, which the first cyclists are expected to complete some time between 2.43pm and 3.29pm.

They will still face a challenging finish to the stage, with a 7 per cent incline on the final 800-metre stretch along Oak Mill Lane and into County Way.

What else is happening?

On the day before stage three, Wednesday, September 4, a community cycling fsetival will take place at Forge Valley School cycling track, from 4pm to 8pm.

Riders of all ages and abilities will be able to turn up and have a go on the 1km route, and there will be Learn to Ride sessions, bike maintenance workshops,refreshments and entertainment at the free event. For more details, visit: https://www.welcometosheffield.co.uk/content/events/community-cycling-festival/.

You can also download an activity pack, including fun facts and information and a quiz, to help get you in the spirit.

People along the route are being encouraged to dress their fences, gardens and windows with bunting and other decorations to show their support for the riders.

On the race day, school cycling teams from across Sheffield will compete in various races and challenges at Parkwood Springs, where the next generation of Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain stars will be honing their skills in celebration of the national Tour coming to Sheffield.