Tour o the Borders cycling event to return in 2025

A major cycling event is set to return to the roads of the Scottish Borders in 2025.

Organisers Hillside Ouside cancelled this year's Tour o the Borders claiming the council had effectively "called a halt" to the closed road challenge.

However, a local authority survey has now found 75% of residents and business who took part backed the event.

Hillside Outside has confirmed the tour - which brings hundreds of riders to the region - will be back on 7 September 2025.

The event has been held since 2014 but was cancelled this year amid concerns about road closures.

Scottish Borders Council (SBC) insisted it was "fully committed" to supporting the tour and carried out a survey of hundreds of residents and businesses across the Peebles, Innerleithen, Ettrick and Yarrow valley areas.

The findings have helped to pave the way for the return of the tour.

Hillside Outside said it had received a great deal of "positive feedback" after more than 2,000 riders had taken part in September.

It expressed "delight" that the sports event had been recognised as an important contributor to the local economy and now seemed to have "more support than ever".

In a statement, the organisers reiterated that the event would miss out 2024 but they had reached an agreement for its return in 2025.

Hillside Outside said: "While there's some disappointment this year, we hope you agree that a more secure long-term future for the event is worth it.

"The huge amount of work gathering and listening to views has been a vital part of this process, and we will continue to respect the voices of those who are inconvenienced by the Tour."

It pledged to work with the council to get all the necessary permissions and agreements to allow the event to proceed after its one-year break.

"We hope all the riders will understand why we made this call and not be too disappointed – we’ll be back and more robust than ever in 2025," it added.

Scott Hamilton, SBC executive member for business and community development, said the backing of local businesses and residents had been "key" to its continued support for the tour.

He said some disruption was "inevitable" but they would encourage organisers to work with communities to "mitigate the impacts as much as possible".

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