A promising young cyclist and former Tour de France legend have joined the celebrations after the borough was chosen to host the Tour Of Britain .
Following a successful bid by Cheshire East council, the eight-day tour will pass through Macclesfield on stage three of the event on September 6, taking in a 10.5km climb up the Cat and Fiddle.
Eighteen-year-old Monica Dew, from Poynton, was invited to the finishing line at Tatton Park to help launch the council’s campaign to get businesses involved with the event and take advantage of the publicity the event offers.
Monica, who is in year 13 at Poynton High School, is a track and road racing cyclist and has signed up to British Cycling’s scholarship programme.
She was joined by former cycling professional David Millar and council leader, Rachel Bailey.
Coun Bailey said: “Not only will this be a spectacular event to watch, it will also showcase the borough of Cheshire East to a huge worldwide audience. I urge our local businesses to get behind this, support it and help to make the whole borough proud to be hosting the Tour of Britain.”
The Tour of Britain is billed as the biggest free-to-attend sporting attraction, with 20 teams of riders from 10 countries.
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David Millar, the event ambassador for Cheshire East and former wearer of the coveted Tour de France yellow jersey, said: “Road cycling is still quite a new sport for the British public.
“It is not just about watching the riders go past, it is about making a day of it and savouring the atmosphere.”
Stage Three of the Tour will take place in the borough on September 6, when competitors will race from Congleton to Tatton Park.
With much of the stage contained within the Cheshire East, spectators will have the opportunity to see the riders at various points on the route, while at Tatton Park the riders will pass through twice on their way to the finishing line.
The event is predicted to attract 8.2m television viewers with a potential worldwide audience of 116.5m.
Tour of Britain organisers say that past events have seen up to 154,000 spectators per stage and an economic impact of £4.1m per stage.
Businesses interested in sponsorship packages should call Kerry Hall on 07816 144384.
