When the Tour of Britain departs on Stage 4 from the market town of Mansfield, technically all of the riders will be breaking the law.
As the peloton departs Mansfield, it will roll through the town centre before heading out into the Nottinghamshire countryside. This is something the average cyclist cannot do as cycling in Mansfield town centre is banned.
In a push to combat anti-social behaviour, the Mansfield District Council passed a ban on cycling in the town centre, that was enforced last year. The ban allows riders to walk their bikes through the town but cycling is not permitted.
However, if you are worried that you will see the likes of Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) and Mark Cavendish (Dimension-Data) in cuffs then fear not as the Council will be thankfully making an exception for the race on the 6th September.
With the exception being made for the pro peloton, campaigners such as charity Cycling UK believe that the ban stigmatises cyclists without addressing the problem.
‘If the Council was experiencing problems with a small number of inconsiderate people cycling, it would be far better to tackle that behaviour, rather than impose a blanket ban on all cycling in the area at all times.’ Duncan Dollimore told the Evening Standard.
The Tour of Britain starts on 3rd September in Cardiff before finishing on 10th September in Cardiff.