The Suffolk stage of the Tour of Britain – Key information

The 2023 Tour of Britain starts on 3rd September in Greater Manchester covering a total of eight stages before finishing in Wales a week later.

The 192km Suffolk stage of this year’s Tour of Britain cycle race takes place on Thursday 7 September – starting and finishing on Felixstowe seafront.

This stage will mark Suffolk’s first appearance in the men’s Tour of Britain since 2017 and it’s first time as stage start point in Felixstowe. With a worldwide television audience of 30.7million and 1.4million roadside spectators Britain’s largest free to attend sporting event contributes around £19 million to the UK economy.

What time will the riders leave from Felixstowe?

The tour stage will depart from Felixstowe Sea Front at 10.45am before heading towards Ipswich, and out of the town via Wherstead towards Freston for the King of the Mountain climb.

And what time is the finish?

The first riders are expected back to Sea Road, Felixstowe at 3.34pm

What is the route around the County?

After leaving Felixstowe the cyclists will make their way via Kesgrave towards Ipswich, and through the town before heading to Freston and on to Holbrook via Wherstead. After completing the two King of the Mountain sections riders will continue to Hadleigh for the sprint section via Brantham and East Bergholt.

Leaving Constable Country behind them the route cuts through the Suffolk countryside of Bildeston, Battisford and Needham Market and on to Framlingham via Stowmarket, Stowupland, Stonham Aspal and Debenham. At this point the stage riders will have covered 121 Kms with 71 Kms still to go.

From Framlingham the peloton continue towards the Suffolk coast and Leiston, taking in Sweffling and Saxmundham. Leaving Leiston they begin the final 50 Kms of the stage back towards Felixstowe via Knodishall Common, Snape Maltings and Tunstall.

Cutting through the countryside past Rendlesham, Eyke, Woodbridge and Martlesham the riders return to Felixstowe with a final push through the Trimley’s and are expected at the finish line at 3.34pm. The final six kilometres replicate the finale of the Women’s Tour in 2021, a stage which saw a memorable victory by the then world champion Elisa Balsamo in front of 10,000 spectators.

Full route details and timings can be found on the Tour of Britain Stage Five website page.

How can I watch it?

With Felixstowe hosting both the start and the finish this offers the perfect opportunity to ‘make a day of it’. We recommend arriving in Felixstowe in plenty of time before the start to find a parking space and avoid the road closures. Try to use public transport if you can.

Because the race is held on public roads there are some great opportunities to watch riders come through. The best locations will be those on long, straight sections so that you can see riders approaching. The KOM and sprint sections will be popular so make sure you arrive in plenty of time to take your place.

If you’re planning to watch the action along the route, please don’t park on the race routes, in lay-bys or on road verges. Don’t get in the way of the peloton or individual riders.

How will it affect me?

The race operates with rolling road closures for around 15 minutes before the estimated time of arrival until approximately 10 minutes after the last rider has passed. If you are travelling along the route on the 7th September some forward planning is recommended.

To ensure safety for the race, it will be necessary to close some roads in Felixstowe, and to suspend parking in the town as well as others on the route (although restrictions will be lifted as soon as possible after the race has passed through).

From Monday 21 August, parking suspension signs will be positioned in areas where on-street parking restrictions will apply for the event. ‘No waiting’ cones will then be put in position on Wednesday 6 September. Please ensure vehicles are removed from these areas before restrictions apply.

Where does the Tour go next?

After Suffolk the Tour moves to Essex for stage six covering the 146km from Southend to Harlow.

Where can I find out more information?

More localised information can be found council websites. The Tour of Britain website details specific timings and road closure information https://www.tourofbritain.co.uk/race/road-closure/