Tour of Britain brings over £6m to Devon economy

Devon’s stage of the Tour of Britain netted the local economy more than £6m, according to an independent report.

The 230,000 spectators who lined the 177km route between Exmouth and Exeter generated over £6.045m, boosted by 14% of visitors staying overnight in the county.

The report, commissioned by the Tour, showed that 90% of respondents found the race ‘very enjoyable’, while 61% said they were inspired to cycle more often.

IAM Cycling’s hour record-holder Matthias Brändle took the stage win on September 11, back when he was still a relative unknown, in a race broadcast live on ITV4.

Councillor Stuart Hughes told the Torquay Herald Express that the size of the crowds proves just how popular the Tour is in Devon, which has held a stage in each of the last eight years.

"The Tour is now a well established event on the sporting calendar, and I’d like to think that Devon has played a role in helping to achieve that over the past eight years," he said.

"It’s great to see that this report has found that so many people enjoyed the race and have been inspired to cycle more often.

"That’s part of the legacy that we’ve always aimed for to ensure Devon is a cycling county, and the worldwide TV coverage provides long term recognition of what Devon has to offer cyclists.

"Although the race won’t visit Devon next year, we’ll be looking at the possibilities for 2016."

Source: Torquay Herald Express

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