Full list of expected road closures as men’s cycling race comes to Central Bedfordshire
The third stage of the men’s International Cycling Union race on Thursday September 4 is following a route from Milton Keynes to Ampthill.
The 122.8-kilometre (76.4-mile) leg will take in Woburn, Toddington, Barton-le-Clay, and Shefford, and include a spectator friendly double-loop around Northill and Old Warden.
Cllr Adam Zerny, Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “The Lloyds Tour of Britain cycling race means the chance to watch top level international sport come right past your front door. We know how excited local residents are about hosting the event, and we see this as a great chance to showcase our picturesque villages and countryside.
"The energy and spirit of our communities, will complement the passion and pace of this lightning-quick road race."
Stage three will get underway from Milton Keynes’ Midsummer Boulevard at 11.30am, passing alongside and then crossing the grade 2 listed Campbell Park, before leaving the city through Caldecotte, and passing the Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One team’s technology campus and factory, shortly before racing begins.
After racing through historical Woburn Sands, the race enters Central Bedfordshire, crossing Woburn Abbey Deer Park and on to Toddington, before turning east after Chalton, to Streatley and Barton-le-Clay, passing the ancient woodland and chalk escarpment at Sharpenhoe.
The stage will complete a lap and a half of a 30-kilometre loop east of Biggleswade, giving spectators at the intermediate sprint outside Northill, and the day’s categorised king of the mountains climb at Hillfoot near Old Warden, the chance to see the race twice.
From the second ascent of the 700-metre, 5.2% average climb, just 16 kilometres of racing lie before the finish line, which will see riders sprinting through Ampthill town centre, and along Woburn Street, to the finish on Woburn Road, at around 2.40pm.
Temporary rolling road closures will be in place on September 4 on a number of roads across the county to enable the race to take place safely.
A full closure will be in place on Woburn Road in Ampthill, where the stage is due to finish, between 5am and 6pm on September 4.
A full closure will also apply on the A6 between Chapel End Road and the junction of the A507 for Clophill.
Details are expected to be confirmed closer to the race but the following roads are expected to be impacted with rolling road closures in force on:
Woburn Road in Aspley Heath, on Newport Road, Bedford Road and Park Street in Woburn and on Foxfield, Berry End, Hills End, Tyrells End and Church End in Eversholt.
The closures in Milton Bryan will be on Potton End, South End and Park Road, while Park Road, Church Square, High Street and Luton Road in Toddington will all be affected.
Rolling road closures in Chalton will be on Luton Road and Sundon Road, as well as on Manor Road in Lower Sundon, and both Sundon Road and Streatley Road in Sundon.
In Streatley, closures will be in place on Sundon Road and Sharpenhoe Road, while Sharpenhoe Road and Barton Road in Sharpenhoe will both be affected.
Sharpenhoe Road, Bedford Road and Hexton Road, all in Barton-le-Clay are affected, as is Apsley End Road in Pegsdon.
In Shillington, closures will be on Apsley End Road, High Road, Marquis Hill and Stondon Road, while in Lower Stondon both Shillington Road and Station Road are affected.
In Henlow, closures will be on Hitchin Road, the High Street and Langford Road, while in Langford the High Street, Church Street and Langford Road will all be subject to the rolling closures.
Langford Road in Biggleswade, and Southill Road both in Holme Mills and Broom will also be closed, as will the B658 from Broom crossroads to Hill Lane in Old Warden.
Closures will also impact Kingshill in Old Warden, Hitchin Road in Upper Caldecote, as well as Vinegar Hill, Brook End, Thorncote Road and Thorncote Green in Hatch.
In Northill, closures will be in place on both Thorncote Road and Bedford Road, while across Bedford Borough they will be in force on Northill Road, Grange Lane, Cople Road and Southill Road.
The closures will also affect Bedford Road in Old Warden, Shefford Road in Southill, the ZUC147 from UC150 Bedford Road and the Old Warden to B658 Bedford Road.
In Shefford Ireland, Bedford Road and Stanford Road will all be subject to temporary rolling road closures, as will Stanford Road in Shefford, Shefford Road in Standford and Broom Road in Stanford.
Also affected will be the ZUC130 from A600 east to UC147 by Yewtree Lodge railway Bridge in Southill and the ZUC130 from UC128 Plummers Lane to A600 in Haynes.
In Haynes, rolling road closures will be in place on Standalone Warren, Church End, Old Main Road, West End, London Lane and Limbersey Lane.
Finally, roads closed on the day of the race in Maulden will be Limbersey Lane, The Brache and Amphtill Road, while in the finishing town of Ampthill Maulden Road, Church Street and Woburn Street will be closed on raceday.