Stage seven of the elite cycling Tour of Britain will come to Gloucestershire next month with road closures planned to allow the race to go ahead safely.

On Saturday, September 9, the 170.9km race will begin in the shadow of Tewkesbury Abbey, on Church Street in the medieval market town, and head east into the Cotswolds before heading south. The riders will then race north through the Stroud valleys before finishing on Southgate Street in Gloucester.

In addition to Tewkesbury and Gloucester, the riders will race through Winchcombe, Cirencester, Tetbury, Wotton-under-Edge, Dursley and Stroud, showcasing some of the best scenery the county has to offer in front of a global television audience.

Residents are encouraged to cheer the riders on at the roadside as it passes by their doorstep. Residents and visitors travelling to the race are advised to allow plenty of time for their journey, and to use active travel and public transport where possible. Those driving to the race should ensure they are parked legally. In addition, all spectators should watch from a safe position and not on the road itself.

The race will start in Tewkesbury at 11am and is estimated to finish in Gloucester at around 3pm. There will be events in Tewkesbury before the start and in Gloucester during the day.

To minimise disruption to communities, most of the race will operate a rolling road closure. This means roads will only be closed for around 30 minutes while the race passes through.

Full road closures will be in operation at the start in Tewkesbury and the finish in Gloucester, the full list is below. The below details are for the official road closure timings, but road will be reopened as soon as possible once the race has left.

Tewkesbury - all the below road closures will be in place from midnight to 2pm

• Post Office Lane - Full road closure along its entire length

• St Marys Lane - Full road closure from Church Street to Church Street

• St Marys Road - Full road closure from Mill Street to St Marys Lane

• Mill Street - Full road closure from Church Street to St Marys Road

• Gander Lane - Full road closure from Church Street to Abbots Walk

• Gloucester Road - Full road closure from Church Street to Lower Lode Lane

• Church Street - Full road closure from Barton Street to Gloucester Road

Gloucester - all the below road closures will be in place from midnight to 11:59pm

• Severn Road - Full road closure from Commercial Road to Llanthony Road

• The Quay - Full road closure from Commercial Road to Westgate Street

• Ladybellgate Street - Full road closure from Longsmith Street to Commercial Road - access will be maintained for businesses and car parks

• Longsmith Street - Full road closure from Southgate Street to Ladybellgate Street - access will be maintained for businesses and car parks

• Commercial Road - Full road closure from Kimbrose Way to Southgate Street

• Southgate Street - Full road closure from Kimbrose Way to Longsmith Street

• Parliament Street - Full road closure from Southgate Street to Brunswick Road

• Commercial Road - Full road closure from Kimbrose Way to The Quay

• Kimbrose Way - Full road closure from Southgate Street to Commercial Road

• Llanthony Road - Full road closure from Southgate Street to Severn Road

• Spa Road - Full road closure from Southgate Street to Brunswick Road

• Southgate Street - Road closure Parliament Street to Bristol Road

The county council has sponsored the 2023 Tour of Britain in line with its commitment to supporting tourism, the local economy and active travel. It will be the first time the men's race has held both a stage start and finish in Gloucestershire, after the Women's Tour came to the county in 2022.

The Gloucestershire stage of the Tour of Britain had originally been scheduled to feature in last year's Tour of Britain until cancellation following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

The race will be broadcast live on ITV4 in the UK and around the world by Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network (GCN), with an hour-long highlights show on ITV4.

Cllr David Gray, Cabinet member responsible for the environment at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "The Tour of Britain will put the spotlight on Gloucestershire and showcase our fantastic county on both the national and global stage.

"I would encourage residents across the Gloucestershire to take the opportunity to watch as some of the world's best cyclists race through our county but apologise for any inconvenience caused by the related road closures."