Opening stage of cycling's Tour of Britain will be in the north-east

The opening stage of cycling's Tour of Britain will take place in the north-east this coming September.

Competitors will start in Aberdeen and head towards the Glenshee Ski Centre in Aberdeenshire on Sunday 4 September.

The next day (Monday 5 September), the only other Scottish stage of the event will take place between Hawick and Duns in the Borders.

There are eight stages in total, with the final destination being The Needles in the Isle of Wight on Sunday 11 September.

Aberdeen will be the third city in Scotland to host the start of the race.

The opening stage has an entirely new route compared to last year's finale in the north-east.

It also has the first ever opening day summit finish in modern race history.

The Old Military Road climb from Auchallater to Glenshee is more than five-and-a-half miles, with the final distance of just more than three miles averaging a 4.8% gradient.

Mick Bennett, the Tour of Britain race director, said: "As promised when we unveiled the Tour of Britain’s host regions in February, this year’s race features a number of surprises, none more so than hill-top finishes to start and end the eight days of world-class competition.

"Creating a route that encourages aggressive racing and brave tactics from day one will enhance the reputation of the race, leave the one million plus spectators watching on in person for free with long-lasting memories, showcase the stunning beauty of our host venues, and repeatedly entertain a worldwide audience."

A map of the route for the first stage of the Tour of Britain 2022 is available below: