The island of Anglesey is the chosen venue to host the opening stage on September 6, which climaxes in Wrexham.

The race is due to finish with a quick-fire route through the streets of London, taking in famous landmarks such as Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus, on September 13.

The 2015 race comprises many firsts as the highly-acclaimed event, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity since its reincarnation in 2004, will see a maiden visit to Edinburgh as well as a series of stunning summit finishes in the northern regions of Britain.

This year's Tour of Britain will start in Anglesey on September 6 and finish a week later in London ©Tour of Britain

The 2014 edition was won by The Netherlands' Dylan van Baarle, who rides for Cannondale-Garmin.

Officials hope that this year's race will feature 2012 Tour de France winner and home favourite Sir Bradley Wiggins will compete.

"At British Cycling, we measure the success of our major events strategy by the number of people who watch and are then inspired to participate in our sport and, as our national stage race and the biggest event of the year, the growing popularity of the Friends Life Tour of Britain is further proof that in this country cycling has never been in better health," British Cycling President Bob Howden said.

"This year's route will excite any fan of cycling and further boosts the Friends Life Tour of Britain's reputation as one of world cycling's must-watch races, but it will also give people all over Britain a chance to see some of the world's best riders in action and encourage them to get out on their bikes."

The 2014 edition saw huge crowds flock to the streets across the country and the race organisers are expecting even more spectators this year ©Tour of Britain



The route also takes in parts of Cumbria and Suffolk, and organisers SweetSpot are expecting the event to attract a host of leading names once again this year.

Race director Mick Bennett described the route around Britain as "brutal" during his presentation here, and he believes they have got the perfect course conducive for another spectacle similar to that of last year, where the overall leadership changed six times over seven days.

"Overall we are absolutely delighted with the course for the 2015 Friends Life Tour of Britain and believe it offers something for everybody across eight very different stages," he said.

"We're hopeful we can get all of our British continental teams competing and anything can happen.

"The penultimate stage is particularly gruelling and we have incorporated a lot of summit finishes, which are a key part of the tour again."

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