The Youth Tour of Scotland will make a welcome return in 2024, with Europe’s premier youth stage race taking place in Perthshire from Friday 5th to Monday 8th April.
Riders from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland and beyond will compete to take home the coveted winners jersey and join the roll of honour which includes current professionals Zoe Backstedt, Cat Ferguson, Seb Grindley, Alfie George and Max Poole.
Alumni from the race include Tom Pidcock, Oscar Onley, Anna Shackley, Emma Finucane, Jenny Holl, Fred Wright and many more.
152 riders will be taking to start for the tenth edition, you can see the startlist here
Strathallan School will once again be our hosts for the Youth Tour, with riders enjoying the feel of a professional race by staying in race accommodation with their teams. We’re delighted to be back at Strathallan and for our hosts to sponsor the Mountains Classification.
Scottish Cycling’s official apparel partner Impsport are sponsors of the General Classification, and are also the supplier of all leaders’ jerseys, and Scottish regional teams’ apparel.
Pedal Power, who recently became a principal partner of Scottish Cycling, are Scotland’s leading independent bike retailer and will sponsor the Teams Classification.
Big Bobble Hats will sponsor the Points Classification, while the Braveheart Cycling Fund are supporting the Best Scottish Rider classification; a big thanks to Kathy and Sandy Gilchrist for their generous donation.
Stages
Saturday 6th April – Forteviot
Prologue – Forteviot Individual Time Trial (Morning)
Time: 09:15-09:55 Female, 10:15-10:55 Open
Distance: 1.6km (1 mile)
After arrival on the Friday, where the riders and teams will receive their welcomes and pre-race briefings, it will be all hands on deck on Saturday with a double day of racing.
The Prologue takes place on Saturday morning with a short out-and-back route from the village of Forteviot, which includes a 180 degrees hairpin after 800m. While the race will probably not be won on such a short Time Trial – it can certainly be lost.
Stage 1 – Forteviot Road Race (Afternoon)
Time: 12:15-13:45 Open, 14:45-16:00 Female
Distance: 60km/40km
A rolling 7km loop round Forteviot will be the venue for Stage 1, with a fair amount of elevation on the course, there’s scope for teams to make the racing hard and whittle down the field; the female peloton will race six laps of the course, an increase on 2022, while the open field will contest nine laps.
You can see the route here.
Sunday 7th April – St Davids
Stage 2- St Davids Team Time Trial (Morning)
Time: 09:15-10:15 Female, 10:30-11:30 Open
Distance: 6.9km (1 lap)
Stage 2 will see each team ride off against the clock in St Davids and will really be a test of teamwork, which is what YTOS is all about. Riders will have to work collaboratively to succeed as the times will be taken on the third rider across the line. Expect to see a major shake up of the general classification here!
Stage 3 – St Davids Road Race (Afternoon)
Time: 12:45-14:00 Female, 15:00-16:30 Open
Distance: 41.4km/55.2km
Stage 3 shares the same route as Stage 2, so- the riders should be well acquainted with what St Davids has to offer. The flatter route should be one for the sprinters – although the Scottish weather could hamper any plans for a bunch sprint. However, exposed sections can provide a launch pad for attacks, and potentially echelons. The female field will race six laps of the circuit, with the open peloton facing up eight tours.
You can see the route here.
Monday 8th April – Forgandenny
Stage 4 – Strathallan Kermesse (Lap 2.5km)
Time: 09:00-10:00 Female, 10:30-11:45 Open
Distance: 38.3km
The final stage will see a Belgian style kermesse on the roads in and around Strathallan to decide who will be victorious.
Despite its short lap, there is a considerable amount of climbing on each tour, which with it’s tight, technical nature could be perfect for a rider to gamble for glory on the final stage. In a first for YTOS, riders will ride an equal number of laps on the final stage – 15 tours of the campus. Jersey and Podium Presentations will take place after lunch.
You can see the route here.
Volunteer at YTOS
We’re still on the lookout for last minute volunteer Drivers, Holders, Judges, Marshals, Mechanics and Timekeepers to make sure that the tenth edition of Europe’s best Youth Stage race is better than ever before.
If you are interested in volunteering, please click the link below.
How to follow
We’ll be covering the race on our social media platforms @YouthTourScot on Twitter, @YouthTourScotland on Instagram and Youth Tour of Scotland on Facebook.
We’ll also have daily reports on the Scottish Cycling website, so stay tuned for those.
If you are planning on coming to Perthshire to spectate then pleased be advised that the race route will be closed from 08:00 on the day of racing and will re-open at 17:00 – for St David’s and Forteviot stages. We also ask that you please refrain from parking on grass verges, and park in appropriate parking places.
Extra Information
You can read the Event Welfare Plan here