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Nottinghamshire primary schools are being encouraged to get involved in this year’s Tour of Britain cycle race – which returns to the county in September.

The 190-kilometre, fifth stage of the showpiece event takes place on Thursday 8 September and will start in West Bridgford before finishing in Mansfield.

It is the third time the sport’s leading names will grace the county’s roads following the staging of the Tour of Britain in 2017 and 2018 – leading to national and international interest in Nottinghamshire.

Now to celebrate the world-famous race coming back to Robin Hood Country, Nottinghamshire County Council has launched a detailed Schools Pack to encourage youngsters and their schools to get involved in the UK’s biggest cycling event.

The pack, which has been developed thanks to a sponsorship package with the County Council’s partners Arc Partnership and SCAPE, has lots of facts about the Tour, as well as class activity ideas and competitions with exciting prizes for primary aged children.

There are several ways primary schools and youngsters can get involved, from designing the starting flag and winning trophy to creating a special ‘eat like an athlete’ themed school lunch which will be served up across the county.

Councillor John Cottee, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “The eagerly anticipated return of the Tour of Britain to our wonderful county provides a unique opportunity for primary schools to get involved and ultimately help to make this year’s Nottinghamshire stage bigger and better than ever before.

“Our excellent pack is full of information and fun facts about the race and is designed to help teachers and parents get primary school children involved in what is expected to be the largest sporting event in the county’s history.

“It also has details about exciting competitions for youngsters – with fantastic prizes for the winners – as well as a wealth of information about the Tour of Britain and cycle racing, together with a number of activities to help children understand more about cycling, road safety and fitness.

“I would urge teachers and parents to download our pack and make use of the ideas to promote the race in their local communities. Good luck everybody.”

Dan Maher, Managing Director of Arc Partnership, said: “As the joint venture between the County Council and SCAPE, formed to deliver design, construction and maintenance services to the council’s property portfolio, including schools, we’re delighted to support the Schools Pack to inspire pupils to get involved in this fantastic cycling event.

“We’re looking forward to seeing the exciting flag and trophy designs, and school lunches, created by the school children.”

You can download the schools pack here, while our website has more information about the Nottinghamshire stage of the Tour of Britain.

We will also soon be launching a new competition for secondary school-aged young people, so make sure you keep an eye on the competitions page of our website where details will be announced.

A detailed route map is expected to be published later this month for communities to see exactly where the race will go and if their town or village is on the route.

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