Tour of Britain 2018 Route stage 6: Barrow-in-Furness

Tour of Britain 2018 Route stage 6: Barrow-in-Furness - Whinlatter Pass

Friday, 7 September 2018 - The 6th stage of the Tour of Britain is a hilly affair. At 169 kilometres, the route between Barrow-in-Furness and the Whinlatter Pass takes in four intermediate climbs before the race ends with a final haul up the pass of 3 kilometres with an average uphill slope of 7%.

Yes, the Whinlatter Pass does ring a bel, doesn’t it? The TTT of stage 5 finished on the pass after an ascent on the easier western side. Now the hill is included twice, both times tackled from the harder eastern side.

But let’s start where it starts. The 6th stage commences in Barrow-in-Furness, a town in Cumbria which is hosting the Tour of Britain for the first time. Following a number of gentle warm-up hills the first KOM, Hawkshead Hill, is crested at kilometre 45. The route then continues to Dunmail Raise to tackle the Whinlatter Pass for the first time after 87 kilometres in the saddle.

Still 79 kilometres to go on a final lap that’s anything but flat. Fangs Brow is first in line, the KOM is crested after 108 kilometres but the route keeps going up and down until the very end, which is the now well-known Whinlatter Pass. Until the 5th stage never included in the Tour of Britain, the 3 kilometres climb at 7% could turn out to be decisive for this year’s GC.

The first three riders on the line take time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprints (at kilometre 45, at kilometre 90, and at kilometre 108) come with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.