Skip to content

Tour of Britain cyclists race through Devon and Cornwall

SWpix.com Robin CarpenterSWpix.com
Robin Carpenter won the second stage in Exeter, taking the race lead

The Tour of Britain has returned to the roads of Devon and Cornwall.

Day one started in Penzance in Cornwall on Sunday, before stage two began on Monday in Sherford, near Plymouth, with that route taking riders up on to Dartmoor before finishing in Exeter.

The race has returned after an absence of 722 days, with 107 professional riders representing 17 different nationalities.

American Robin Carpenter won the second stage and took the race lead.

Belgian Wout Van Aert won the opening stage on Sunday in an uphill sprint in Bodmin.

SWpix.com CyclistsSWpix.com
Eyes on the prize for cyclists hitting the roads of Cornwall and Devon
SWpix.com TorcrossSWpix.com
The beach at Torcross in Devon was the backdrop as cyclists poured through the seaside village

Hundreds of people across the South West have been watching the riders along both stages.

Cornwall's 180km (112-mile) stage saw riders race through St Ives, Redruth, Falmouth and Truro, before cycling up to Newquay, then down to St Austell, finishing the race in Bodmin.

Monday's stage saw riders in Devon for a 184km (114-mile) stint.

The event's Twitter feed said it had "been a frantic start" to stage two, but that Carpenter had seen "an incredible solo victory in Exeter".

PA Media Unicyclists at the Tour of Britain in DevonPA Media
Unicyclists were at the start line of stage two of the Tour of Britain in Sherford

Exeter last hosted a stage finish in 2014, when Austrian Matthias Brändle soloed to the victory.

Stage three of the event will take place in Wales on Tuesday.

presentational grey line

Follow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]