Tour of Britain comes to Cornwall: The Grand Depart

The premier event in Britain’s cycling road race calendar, the Tour of Britain, kicks off this Sunday 5 September with the Grand Depart starting in Cornwall for the first time.

The 17th edition of the race begins in Penzance and will finish in Bodmin. Spectators are expected to line the route to catch a glimpse of some of cycling’s greatest stars.

Those looking to travel by train to watch the Tour of Britain are being warned by train operator Great Western Railway that services are expected to be busy, and space on services limited. The company is also asking those looking to travel to leave bikes securely locked at the station or at home.

GWR Station Manager for West Cornwall Sharon Holloway explains:

“This Sunday very much marks the end of the school holidays, and return to the office for many, as well as this fantastic sporting event right on our doorstep.

“With that in mind we are advising those travelling that space on trains is limited, and to allow as many people to travel as possible, we would ask that you do not bring your bike onto the train.

“Additionally, check your journey before you travel as late timetable changes may apply because of the impact of Covid-19.”

Travellers are also being reminded that a face covering is expected to be worn on board and at the station.

Services to and from key locations including the finish area and vantage points during the races are expected to be busy throughout Sunday and Monday.

Notes to editors 

Great Western Railway (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London.  

GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR was recently awarded an extension to its direct award franchise (called DA3), which shall run up to 31 March 2023 with an option to extend for a further year.  

GWR’s enhanced cleaning regime includes: 

• A 24% increase in cleaning hours every week since March 2020 
• Sanitising (fogging) of 1,120 vehicles every 4 weeks 
• Carrying out 2,150 on board surface tests (ATP) every four weeks, to ensure the effectiveness of our cleaning 
• 272 train cleaning processes reviewed, and many adapted 
• Hand sanitising facilities at key stations across its network.