Tour of Britain and Women’s Tour searching for new main sponsor to replace OVO Energy

The organisers of the Tour of Britain, the Women’s Tour and the Tour Series are on the hunt for a new headline sponsor to replace OVO Energy.

Bristol-based energy firm OVO are bringing their sponsorship of the flagship British races to an end after three years, leaving the events without a main backer.

Organiser of the Tour of Britain, SweetSpot, is now trying to attract a new sponsor to support the three major British racing events.

SweetSpot CEO Hugh Roberts said: “All three events headline the British Cycling calendar and will no doubt continue to do so over the next decade as we work with partners, stakeholders, teams, riders and fans to inspire the next generation.

“We thank OVO Energy for their support of the events and look forward to beginning in the already illustrious histories of the Tour of Britain, Women’s Tour and Tour Series in 2020 and beyond.”

This year marked a number of milestones for all three races - 15 years since the reintroduction of the Tour of Britain, the 10th anniversary of the Tour Series and an expanded Women’s Tour to mark its fifth year.

It was thanks to the OVO sponsorship that the Women’s Tour made the significant step of introducing a prize fund equal to that of the Tour of Britain in 2018, the first UCI stage race to do this.

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OVO Energy brand and communications director Sarah Booth said: "We are proud of the contribution we’ve made through our sponsorship, helping fans across the country see the world’s best riders competing on their doorsteps and inspiring a whole new generation to get on their bikes.

"Our most meaningful legacy is taking a step towards gender parity in cycling by increasing the Women’s Tour prize fund, helping to provide an equal platform on the world cycling stage."

Earlier this year, SweetSpot signed a new 10-year extension to their partnership with British Cycling to run the Tour of Britain.