Taunton set to miss out on Tour of Britain

9:53am Thursday 3rd April 2008

TAUNTON is set to miss out on this summer's Tour of Britain South-West stage, which will start in Chard this year.

Last summer, Taunton hosted a spectacular finish to the South-West stage when thousands of people turned out to watch the riders in the town centre.

They witnessed a dramatic, high speed crash outside Debenhams - to relive the moment, click on the link below this story.

This year, Somerset County Council, which organises the stage, has confirmed the race will take place on Tuesday, September 9, starting in Chard and finishing in Burnham.

Full details of the route will not be released until April 28, but the council has confirmed that it will pass through Exmoor National Park.

Dan James, Exmoor National Park Authority's sustainable economy officer, said: "We're delighted that in 2008 the route will once again pass through the Exmoor National Park, allowing spectators and participants alike to experience the special qualities of the area and we're pleased to support this year's event with a grant from the Exmoor Sustainable Development Fund.

"Last year's race was a real boost for Exmoor, attracting widespread support from local schools and communities across the area and having a positive impact on the rural economy."

The route will also pass through part of Devon.

The Tour of Britain's technical director, Mick Bennett, said: "Somerset set a new standard for the event when over 70,000 spectators flocked to watch the race at key points around Yeovil, Taunton and Exmoor."

He added: "The stage was the best day ever seen in British cycle racing, on a par with the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia events."

Cllr Jill Shortland, leader of Somerset County Council, said: "The success of the first ever South-West stage of the Tour of Britain exceeded our expectations and we are confident that the 2008 stage will be even better " We took a bold step in securing a stage of the race for Somerset and that decision has created immense benefits for the county. The impact it has had on the local economy, the profile it has created for our county and the promotion of cycling is indeed profound."

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