Bike Channel wins rights to broadcast the 2016 Tour of Britain

The 2016 Tour of Britain will be shown live on the Bike Channel this September after the broadcaster won the pay-TV rights to the race.

The channel, available on Sky, Virgin and Freesat, will show three hours of live coverage on each of the eight stages, starting in Glasgow on September 4.

Over 17m households in the UK are able to receive the Bike Channel and Tour of Britain race director, Mick Bennett, hopes this will bring a new audience to the race.

“With 10 WorldTour teams riding in this year’s Tour of Britain, the race is now the biggest it’s ever been. BIKE’s coverage – available in over 17 million households in the UK – will bring the Tour of Britain to new audiences and is key to the continued growth of the country’s national Tour," he said.

>>> Tour of Britain 2016 route: stage by stage

ITV4 will also be showing live coverage and highlights of the race, which runs from September 4-11, with the race culminating in London.