Tour of Britain finale

Liverpool will be the finishing line for the UK's most exciting cycle race this season.

The tour, which pedals through 15 venues countrywide, begins in London on September 7 and winds its way over hill and down dale to Liverpool eight days later.

There will be 16 teams of six riders invited to take part. The 2008 route is a tough one, with windswept costal lanes, steep narrow climbs and much more.

The first stage takes place in London, moving on from Milton Keynes to picturesque Newbury on the second day. The dramatic terrain of Devon and Somerset will provide a challenge for stage three, as the riders tackle a route from Chard through to Burnham on Sea for the first ever costal stage finish.

The riders will begin stage 4 in Worcester then head to Stoke-on-Trent for the first time. Yorkshire has been a fixture on the tour since the first race in 2004, and stages 5 will see riders take a narrow, twisty route with steep climbs and descent from Hull to Dalby Forest.

The tour will also visit the North East for the first time this year, from Darlington to Tyneside.

Glasgow will host the penultimate stage, ending in Dumfries & Galloway.

After racing south from Blackpool, the final stage will end with an hour racing around the city centre circuit in Liverpool.