The Kent stage of the Tour of Britain starts at Rochester Cathedral

The map for the south-east section of the race was revealed during a launch event at Chatham Maritime on Tuesday.

Organisers said the fifth and penultimate stage of the Tour of Britain would visit Rochester, Paddock Wood, Hythe, Dover and Canterbury.

The race covers Scotland, the North West, Yorkshire, the West Midlands and the South East, ending in London.

Event organiser Tony Doyle, himself a two-time cycling world champion, said: "We know there are some great roads and fantastic countryside [in Kent] and a great deal of support and interest.

"We know the people of Kent and the surrounding areas will turn out in their hundreds of thousands for this free show."

'Highest standard'

Mr Doyle said the Kent stage, at just under 100 miles, would start from Rochester Cathedral before then heading to Paddock Wood and through Hythe.

There will be a sprint stage in Dover High Street and then the race will come "back out of Dover onto the narrow twisty country lanes, before it heads to the old Roman road into Canterbury".

The final section passes the county cricket ground in Canterbury before finishing in Rheims Way.

With 16 teams of six riders, Mr Doyle promised "the highest standard ever seen for any Tour of Britain in the history of the sport".

The race starts in Glasgow on 29 August and finishes at Buckingham Palace in London on 3 September.