Monmouthshire saw its third major cycling event this summer as The Tour of Britain hit the county's roads yesterday (Tuesday 9th September). The Tour of Britain takes world-class riders around the country in an eight stage race, culminating in a time trial and circuit race through the streets of London. Monmouthshire hosted a dramatic climax to stage three of the race that challenged riders to climb The Tumble, starting from Govilon near Abergavenny and ending at the summit of the Blorenge mountain overlooking the Vale of Usk and the Black Mountains. Classed as a Category One climb to reflect its difficulty, The Tumble is well-known in the cycling world as one of the toughest ascents in the UK and is expected to be one of the major highlights of the entire race. Rising 512 metres (approx. 1,600 feet) above sea-level, the Tumble tested riders on a 6km climb over a steady gradient of 10 per cent. In addition to Abergavenny, spectators in Monmouth had opportunity to line the streets and watch the race as the town features along the official route. The Tour is the country's largest free sporting event for onlookers and welcomed more than 1.5 million spectators last year. County Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member with responsibility for leisure and tourism said: "Bringing The Tour of Britain to Monmouthshire is a major coup for the county. Not only will it bring an influx of cycling fans and other visitors through our doors, it will also open us up to the rest of the world. "The race was broadcast live on TV and global reach last year hit more than 280 million homes.  Having the opportunity to showcase our beautiful county on that sort of scale is unheard of." The Tour of Britain starts on 7th September in Liverpool and ends in London on 14th September. Detailed information about the route can be found on: http://www.tourofbritain.co.uk">www.tourofbritain.co.uk.