Honda gears up to support Tour of Britain Cycle Race

Honda (UK) Motorcycles is gearing up to support next week’s exciting 2009 Tour of Britain cycle race with a fleet of ST1300 Pan European bikes being used by ITV4’s television production company covering the week-long nationwide event, as well as offering the chance to win a Honda CB600F Hornet for a year as ridden by Honda sponsored Tour of Britain rider, Ed Clancy.

Starting on Saturday morning, 12 September, in Scunthorpe and finishing in London on Saturday 19 September, the Tour of Britain will see almost 100 high profile cyclists competing for victory over 700 miles around the UK and experiencing a variety of scenery and road terrains.

The four stages in the northern half of the UK take in Scunthorpe to York, Darlington to Newcastle, Peebles to Gretna and Blackpool and the North West. The Midlands will see the race action on Wednesday 16 September with the Stoke on Trent stage. The Tour then heads south from Wednesday 16 September to cover Frome to Bideford and Hatherleigh to Yeovil, before the finale on Saturday 19 September along London’s Victoria Embankment.

Honda (UK), and its motorcycle dealers within the region of each of the stages, will further be supporting the Tour of Britain with a presence at the start and finish of the stages. The Honda event unit will feature a display of Honda cars and motorcycles and a rider trainer simulator, for those into two wheels to have a go at ‘riding’ a powered two-wheeler, with hundreds of goodies and offers to give away, all helping to add to the experience and fun for the thousands of spectators who gather to see The Tour set off or arrive.

Executive Producer for Century TV - the production company for ITV4’s Tour of Britain coverage - Rohan Browning, commented, “The mobile camera crews are vital for capturing the action that viewers really want to see from the start, finish and along the entire route of the stages and motorcycles are the ideal vehicles for making sure we’re at the heart of the action. The ST1300 Pan European was our first and only real choice, with its smooth ride, superb practicality, versatility and ultra-reliability.”

Steve Martindale, General Manager of Honda (UK) Motorcycles commented, “The Tour of Britain is a fantastic event and we’re delighted for Honda (UK) Motorcycles to be involved, both with the mobile camera crew choosing the ST1300 Pan European as their preferred vehicle and also, for some of our dealers to have the opportunity to be out in their local communities and promote horse-powered two-wheelers alongside pedal-powered two-wheelers.”

Honda (UK) is also supporting British-born rider and Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy to win the Tour of Britain. You could win a ride-out with Ed – and other great prizes including a Honda CB600F Hornet for a year – by entering a free prize draw. The entry form can be downloaded from honda.co.uk/cars/offers/tourofbritain and submitted at any participating Honda dealer (participating Honda dealers can be found using the web link above).

Honda (UK) Motorcycles has supplied the bikes as part of Honda (UK)’s role as Official Vehicle Partner to the 2009 Tour of Britain. It has loaned more than 45 vehicles for the event with a mix of CR-V, Civic, Insight and Accord Tourer cars alongside the ST1300 Pan European motorcycles, being used by everyone from TV crews and doctors to time keepers and judges.

There will be full coverage of the Tour of Britain on ITV4 every evening from Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 September, with hour-long programmes from 7.00 – 8.00pm bringing over a million spectators and viewers the exciting race and behind the scenes action from the UK’s largest professional cycle race, which is now in its sixth year. Further information about the Tour of Britain and each of the eight, one-day long stages can be found at tourofbritain.co.uk.

For further information about any of Honda’s great range of scooters, off-road machines or road bikes, genuine parts, accessories, latest offers and forthcoming events, visit honda.co.uk.