Organisers and competitors hail UK's inaugural Tour Series

Ed Clancy wins the Blackpool Nocturne. (Image credit: Adam Tranter)

Organisers and competitors involved in the inaugural Tour Series are hailing the British cycling events as a huge success. They say the series of 10 urban road races attracted a total of 100,000 spectators and boosted cycling in the towns and cities where they were held.

The races were televised in hour-long shows on ITV4. Hugh Roberts, chief executive officer of SweetSpot Group, co-organisers of the Tour Series with Cyclevox, said: “Thanks to the event being broadcast on TV, members of the public who were not able to attend any of the events in person were able to enjoy a full hour’s worth of racing the following evening. In addition, our partner towns and cities were able to show viewers and spectators what they had to offer, resulting in a boost in their tourism offerings.”

- Chester: Race attracted 12,000 spectators who boosted the city's economy by £500,000.
- Exeter: Bike shops reported having some of their busiest ever days following the Tour Series race. Cycling Demonstration Town project team have seen unprecedented interest in cycling.
- Peterborough: 8,500 extra people in the city centre spending money, and schools ran activities on the day of the Tour Series to get children interested in cycling.