A jockey and a cyclist have swapped saddles to celebrate the start of stage six of Britain’s premier road cycling race in Newmarket, the international home of horseracing, on Friday 8 September.

Horse and JockeyCllr Andy Drummond, Forest Heath Cabinet member for Leisure and Culture and Mayor of Newmarket gave his bike to jockey James Dunne and took the reins of Royal Marskell, from Gay Kelleway’s stables, as details of the stage six event were revealed.

There will be one SKODA King of the Mountain climb during Stage Six, which will be in Snape.

The SKODA King of the Mountains Jersey is awarded to the best climber in the OVO Energy Tour of Britain as riders battle for points at every stage. Ranked in one of three categories according to their difficulty, the first riders across the summit win points with the rider who has accumulated the most points wearing the SKODA King of the Mountains jersey.

There will also be three intermediate Eisberg Sprints during Stage Six at Ixworth, Stradbrooke and Kesgrave.

Highly popular with fans, riders battle it out to be first across the sprint line to claim points, and also bonus seconds to be taken off their overall race time. If the overall lead for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain is tight, expect the battle for the time bonuses to be intense.

Cllr Drummond, a keen cyclist who then went on to complete the Newmarket Hilly fundraiser said, “Newmarket appreciates top flight performance and is preparing a very warm welcome for the best cyclists in the world. West Suffolk has a very strong cycling culture and there will be lots going on for all cycling styles and levels, as well as the excitement of the peloton, passing through our towns and villages on the day.”

Race Director of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain, Mick Bennett said “We are looking forward to bringing the OVO Energy Tour of Britain to Newmarket for the first time and are sure of a great Suffolk reception for the stage. Having a full stage for the first time is a great opportunity for people across Suffolk to get behind the event, and we hope that the announcement of the Eisberg Sprint and SKODA King of the Mountains locations will be extra encouragement for these communities to turn out and support the Tour on Stage Six.”

Owner of Royal Marskell, Chantal Wootten spoke about the Tour coming to Newmarket in September

As a local business owner, I’m thrilled about the Tour of Britain starting in Newmarket, as it will be a great way to showcase the town with all it’s wonderful diverse cultures and history, and it will also encourage people to cycle more”.

For more information about Stage Six of the OVO Energy Tour of Britain in Suffolk click here and for more information about Newmarket visit www.discovernewmarket.co.uk