The father of one of cycling's rising stars hopes the return of the Tour of Britain to Warwickshire will help to inspire another generation of young cyclists.

Jake Stewart's love for cycling grew from the moment his cycling-fanatic dad Paul gave him a bike when he was just two years-old – but it was watching the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas and Mark Cavendish on TV that took the Coventry rider's fascination to another level; motivating him to pursue cycling as more than just a hobby.

Fast forward to today, Paul hopes youngsters tuning into free-to-air TV coverage of the Tour of Britain - which returns to Warwickshire for stage four on Friday, September 5 - will be inspired in much the same way as his son, who turned professional in October 2020 and now rides for UCI ProTeam Israel–Premier Tech.

"Jake has never ridden with Brad, but he rode with Cav at his first world championships and on several other occasions and he finished his Tour de France a few weeks ago riding across the line with Geraint," Paul explained.

"You think of the impact those guys had on Jake; that has got to rub off on youngsters of today when they see people like Jake doing so well. There's a glut of British talent coming through. Hopefully kids in this country will see some of these guys do really well in the Tour of Britain."

Paul added: "It's doable. Don't get me wrong it's hard. You go from riding at a regional level to national and it takes a while before you perform at national level to get your first good result, your first podium and first win.

"You're fighting in the academy then through to juniors and senior level. The same as in any job, the closer you get to the pointy end, the top of whatever profession you're in, the harder it gets.

"Coaching in the UK - at grassroots level all the way up – is so good. It's bringing riders up and through and there's countless excellent riders now at World Tour level. But they all started somewhere and seeing riders perform is just so inspirational.

"You watch your sporting heroes and suddenly realise 'that could be me'. That's how it all started for Jake – as a dream. We always said 'dare to dream, dream big, live the dream'.

"He's living the dream now - it's awesome. Let's hope Jake's exploits can be a catalyst for young riders who are now following his career."

Jake Stewart's love for cycling grew from the moment his cycling-fanatic dad Paul gave him a bike when he was just two years-old

The Tour of Britain, which will be broadcast on ITV4 and ITVX, will boast a star-studded cast with reigning Olympic road race champion Remco Evenepoel and former Tour of Britain winner Julian Alaphilippe competing in what will be Geraint Thomas's final race.

The 39-year-old, one of few British cyclists to achieve elite-level success on road and track, will call time on his illustrious career after the Tour's final stage, which finishes in his home city of Cardiff.

Sadly, there will be no repeat of the Tour de France, where Thomas and Jake finished side by side on the Champs Elysee. Jake, 26, was drafted by his team to compete in the Vuelta a España, the third and final grand tour of the 2025 men's road cycling season, taking place at the same time as the Tour of Britain.

The Coventry Comet, who grew up in the Tile Hill area of the city, would probably have fancied his chances on home soil, not least because stage four will be contested over scenic Warwickshire landscape Jake knows like the back of his hand.

He and his dad, a former automotive engineer at Renault Trucks in Warwick, would regularly go for rides at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, the backdrop to what promises to be a thrilling Warwickshire stage finale, as well as routes around Kenilworth, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Wellesbourne.

"He would have loved to have ridden in the Tour of Britain," Paul, 58, said. "We've ridden the Burton Dassett climb countless times over the years so he knows it well!

"He's performed so well in recent months that he's in real demand by his team; both his teammates and the directeur sportif. They're all asking for him and they want him to compete at the Vuelta.

"It's bittersweet because I would have loved to see Jake ride on home roads, but credit to him that he's made himself indispensable with his team."

Paul added: "I think Jake's done the Tour of Britain three times. He almost got his first pro win on the Tour in 2022. He was beaten by just 1,000th of a second.

"He and his team bossed it last year. They had such an amazing Tour so he's got fond memories in that respect.

"He would have loved to have been there. I know he wants all of the British riders to excel and give the home fans lots to cheer about.

"He likes racing at home and on home roads – it's huge. He rode in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and said how emotional that was.

"When they realised the break had gone in the road race and there was no way of clawing it back, he dropped back from the peloton because everywhere he went people were shouting his name.

"Whether it was his old teammates from Solihull Cycling Club, people from Coventry Triathletes or other clubs from the region, old schoolmates, friends or family.

"I can only imagine the buzz when you hear people shouting your name and see faces you recognise. It must be amazing.

"It's nice for the fans as well because it's not often you get some of the world's best riders competing in the UK. You've only really got the nationals and the Tour of Britain."

The Tour of Britain returns to Warwickshire this Friday

Paul will be travelling down for the Warwickshire stage from his home in the Peak District. Anyone who watches the drama unfold in stage four will then have the opportunity to emulate their sporting icons on exactly the same roads, and with the same stunning scenery.

This, Paul says, is what helps to make cycling so accessible and is one of many appealing aspects of the sport.

"I just love cycling," he added. "I can happily watch a full stage and then watch the highlights in the evening.

"As a sport it's so accessible. You can't go to Wembley and have a kickaround or go to Wimbledon and have a game of tennis. It's different in cycling - you have more opportunity.

"When Jake was ten we cycled up Mont Ventoux, which was his first Tour de France climb. You're on the same venue as all your sporting heroes. We went to the Pyrenees and I think we did nine of the Tour de France climbs there. It's like no other sport.

"People watching the Warwickshire leg of the Tour of Britain, either in person or on TV, will then be able to ride on the same roads. They can cycle out from Atherstone, take in the countryside around Rugby and Leamington and obviously do the climb at Burton Dassett, like me and Jake used to.

"I'm sure people will be enthralled by seeing the Tour in Warwickshire. It has the power to inspire a new generation of riders and that can only be a good thing for British cycling."