Stages for inaugural Tour of Britain Women announced
British Cycling has unveiled the stage hosts for the 2024 Tour of Britain Women's race, marking its debut with a Grand Départ in Welshpool on June 6. The race fills the slot left vacant by the Women’s Tour
Preparations for the much-anticipated 2024 Tour of Britain Women’s race took a big leap forward today when British Cycling officially unveiled the event’s stage hosts, a significant milestone for its debut event.
The race is set to begin with a Grand Départ in Welshpool on June 6, filling the slot previously occupied by the Women’s Tour, which has not been held since 2022 following the financial collapse of its organisers, Sweetspot. British Cycling has stepped in, taking over the reins to ensure the continuity of the race, as well as the men’s Tour of Britain.
This year’s inaugural four-day Tour of Britain Women is a concise version of the Women’s Tour, which was previously six days long. The shortened format is attributed to the race being in a transitional phase this year, with British Cycling having only a brief window to organise the 2024 event. The race is expected to be extended to six days next year.
Picture by Zac Williams/SWpix.com- 9/06/2022 – Cycling – The Women’s Tour 2022 Stage 4 – Wrexham to Welshpool – Wales – Grace Brown, FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope, Elisa Longo Borghini, Trek Segafredo, Kasia Niewadoma, Canyon Sram.
Starting in Welshpool, where Australia’s Grace Brown triumphed in 2022, the race will move to the picturesque seaside town of Llandudno. From there, riders will tackle the rolling landscapes and significant climbs of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley in Wales, with a stage starting and finishing in Wrexham.
Crossing into England, the third stage in Warrington promises to favour sprinters with a flatter course, recalling the 2021 men’s Tour of Britain stage won by Ethan Hayter. The final day will see the peloton moving to Greater Manchester, aligning with the city’s European Capital of Cycling festivities. This last stage will depart from the National Cycling Centre and challenge riders with some tough climbs before culminating in Leigh, where the inaugural race champion will be crowned.
Stage
Date
Start
Finish
1
Thursday 6 June
Welshpool
Llandudno
2
Friday 7 June
Wrexham
Wrexham
3
Saturday 8 June
Warrington
Warrington
4
Sunday 9 June
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Jon Dutton OBE, CEO of British Cycling, expressed his excitement about the progress made and the overwhelming support the event has received. “Today is another important milestone in our journey and reflective of the enormous goodwill and support which major road cycling events continue to enjoy,” Dutton said.
“Our primary focus has been to deliver a safe and competitive race in 2024, and while there is still a great deal of work to do, we remain every bit as determined to harness the race’s spotlight to make a real impact in the communities which it touches,” he continued.
Newly appointed race director Rod Ellingworth commented that, “It’s been a monumental effort by the whole team over the past 10 weeks to confirm the stages for this year’s Tour of Britain Women,” reflecting the huge efforts involved to make the race happen this year.
In addition to announcing the women’s race stages, British Cycling also noted that the men’s Tour of Britain is set for a six-day event in 2024, taking place 3-8 September. This move is part of a broader strategy to eventually equalise the men’s and women’s tours, underscoring British Cycling’s commitment to gender parity in the sport.
Full routes for each of the stages, along with the teams and riders competing, will be announced in the coming weeks, although we understand that a Great Britain team will be one of the squads competing.
Preparations for the much-anticipated 2024 Tour of Britain Women’s race took a big leap forward today when British Cycling officially unveiled the event’s stage hosts, a significant milestone for its debut event.
The race is set to begin with a Grand Départ in Welshpool on June 6, filling the slot previously occupied by the Women’s Tour, which has not been held since 2022 following the financial collapse of its organisers, Sweetspot. British Cycling has stepped in, taking over the reins to ensure the continuity of the race, as well as the men’s Tour of Britain.
This year’s inaugural four-day Tour of Britain Women is a concise version of the Women’s Tour, which was previously six days long. The shortened format is attributed to the race being in a transitional phase this year, with British Cycling having only a brief window to organise the 2024 event. The race is expected to be extended to six days next year.
Starting in Welshpool, where Australia’s Grace Brown triumphed in 2022, the race will move to the picturesque seaside town of Llandudno. From there, riders will tackle the rolling landscapes and significant climbs of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley in Wales, with a stage starting and finishing in Wrexham.
Crossing into England, the third stage in Warrington promises to favour sprinters with a flatter course, recalling the 2021 men’s Tour of Britain stage won by Ethan Hayter. The final day will see the peloton moving to Greater Manchester, aligning with the city’s European Capital of Cycling festivities. This last stage will depart from the National Cycling Centre and challenge riders with some tough climbs before culminating in Leigh, where the inaugural race champion will be crowned.
Jon Dutton OBE, CEO of British Cycling, expressed his excitement about the progress made and the overwhelming support the event has received. “Today is another important milestone in our journey and reflective of the enormous goodwill and support which major road cycling events continue to enjoy,” Dutton said.
“Our primary focus has been to deliver a safe and competitive race in 2024, and while there is still a great deal of work to do, we remain every bit as determined to harness the race’s spotlight to make a real impact in the communities which it touches,” he continued.
Newly appointed race director Rod Ellingworth commented that, “It’s been a monumental effort by the whole team over the past 10 weeks to confirm the stages for this year’s Tour of Britain Women,” reflecting the huge efforts involved to make the race happen this year.
In addition to announcing the women’s race stages, British Cycling also noted that the men’s Tour of Britain is set for a six-day event in 2024, taking place 3-8 September. This move is part of a broader strategy to eventually equalise the men’s and women’s tours, underscoring British Cycling’s commitment to gender parity in the sport.
Full routes for each of the stages, along with the teams and riders competing, will be announced in the coming weeks, although we understand that a Great Britain team will be one of the squads competing.
Featured image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
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