The 2014 Tour de France was memorable in so many ways. There were the unprecedented crowds that turned out to line the route of ‘Le Grand Depart’ in Yorkshire, as the tour made a once in a generation trip across Le Manche. Then there was the crushing disappointment as we watched Chris Froome crash out on stage five. And we can’t forget the spectacular sprint finish on the Champs-Elysées.

With the tour now over, you could be forgiven for feeling a bit flat. However, the good news is that we have less than six weeks to wait until the start of the Tour of Britain. Even better news is that the tour will be coming to West Berkshire for the first time since 2008.

The race begins on 7 September, with eight stages taking place over eight consecutive days, taking the riders from Liverpool to London. On Friday, 12 September, stage six of the tour will see the riders race from Bath to Hemel Hempstead, with nearly 30 kilometres of the route passing through West Berkshire!

Riders are expected to arrive in Hungerford at around 12:24 pm. They will ride down the High Street before turning right along the A4 towards Halfway. They will then turn north towards Hoe Benham, Boxford and Leckhampstead, before leaving the district via the B4494 Wantage Road.

It promises to be a thrilling race. Nine teams have confirmed that they will be taking part, including the Great Britain national team, Team Sky and Omega Pharma Quick-Step. More announcements about teams and riders are expected towards the end of July with provisional rider announcements throughout August.