Tour of Britain's future shrouded in uncertainty as the race organiser reportedly owes around £700,000 in license fees
Cycling
The future of the UK’s biggest male cycle race, the Tour of Britain, is endangered over unpaid license fees. Cycling Weekly reports that British Cycling has withdrawn with immediate effect from a long-term deal with race promoter SweetSpot, stating the firm owes hundreds of thousands in licence fees.
A spokesperson for British Cycling told Cycling Weekly: "We can confirm that we have terminated our agreement with Sweetspot Group Limited to deliver the Tour of Britain."
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The sports governing body has always held the rights to the Tour of Britain brand but licences it out to a race organiser. SweetSpot has held the licence for the race since it's return in 2004. A fresh agreement between the two parties was inked in 2019 and was due to expire in 2029.
It's understood that British Cycling contends that by the end of the year SweetSpot will owe around £700,000. The spokesperson added: "British Cycling remains fully committed to the delivery of the Tour of Britain in 2024, and will share further details in due course.”
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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This year's Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 legacy continues! @suffolkcc and @SPRenewables have today unveiled a new Bike Library for pupils at a Lowestoft school. #TourOfBritain 🔴🔵⚪
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