A look ahead to the second edition of the five-day race
Friday 12 June 2015 16:50, UK
Top-level women’s cycling will return to the roads of Britain in the second staging of the Women’s Tour from June 17-21.
Last year’s inaugural edition was an overwhelming success, with tens of thousands of fans defying wet weather to cheer on a high-pedigree field containing a selection of the best riders in the world.
Dutch legend Marianne Vos took victory 12 months ago and although she will not be back to defend her title this time around due to injury, the battle to succeed her in the yellow jersey will be just as fierce and exciting. Here’s how the race will pan out…
Stage 1: Wednesday, June 17 – Bury St Edmunds to Aldeburgh – 112.6km
The race starts in Bury St Edmunds, just east of Cambridge, and ends on the Anglian coast. The route rolls for much of the day but the finish is flat and a bunch sprint is in the offing.
Stage 2: Thursday, June 18 – Braintree to Clacton-on-Sea – 138km
Another land-to-sea stage and another that should end in a sprint.
Stage 3: Friday, June 19 – Oundle to Kettering – 139.2km
The hardest stage of the race so far takes the riders over a seemingly endless barrage of climbs. The field could get whittled down by the difficulty of the day and victory may end up going to an opportunist late attacker. Otherwise, a sprint contested by a small group could be the outcome.
Stage 4: Saturday, June 20 – Waltham Cross to Kettering – 103.8km
Another attritional day with very little flat road, stage four should create more gaps in the general classification. The last climb could prove decisive, with attackers moving clear of the peloton and then hanging on desperately down the descent to the finish.
Stage 5: Sunday, June 21 – Marlow to Hemel Hempstead – 102.6km
The race’s biggest climbs are saved for what is likely to be a pivotal final day. Cryers Hill and Tom’s Hill Road may thin the peloton down but, once again, it will be on the final climb that the most potent attacks are launched. Whoever goes clear will then have to defend their lead on the fast downhill to the line.
Stage five. The final day is the shortest of the race but the route is also the lumpiest and if it’s still tight at the top of the general classification, there is plenty of scope for one last twist.
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans)
Britain’s leading road racer struggled in last year’s race due to illness so will be keen to make amends. The 26-year-old all-rounder goes into the race in excellent form, having won the Boels Rental Hill Classic and the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic in her last two outings.
Emma Johansson (Orica-AIS)
The 31-year-old Swede finished runner-up to Vos last year and, like Armitstead, she will also arrive in Britain in good form after finishing second in the Boels Rental Hills Classic and first in Durango-Durango Emakumeen Saria. Another strong all-rounder with a fast sprint.
Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle Honda)
The 23-year-old Italian finished second behind Armitstead at the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic and consequently heads to the Women’s Tour with good form. She also won the Tour of Flanders earlier this year so won’t be put off by the attritional route.
Trixi Worrack (Velocio-SRAM)
The 33-year-old German has enjoyed an excellent season so far, finishing fourth at the Tour of Qatar, third at the Energiewacht Tour and then first at the recent Tour of California, and will be keen to keep that hot streak going in Britain.
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot (Rabobank-Liv)
The reigning world road race champion will lead Rabobank-Liv in the absence of team-mate Vos, although there are also questions over her own fitness following recent injury. However, she is a multi-talented rider who has finished in the top 10 of every race she has entered this year and shouldn’t be too far off the yellow jersey.
British sprinter Lucy Garner (Liv-Plantur)
“I’m ready and looking ahead to the Women’s Tour. It’s huge. Obviously it was new last year and no one knew what to expect, but the response that we got from women’s cycling was huge. We have got a really strong team. For me, it would be really great to get a stage win, but we also have a couple of girls who are aiming for the Women’s Tour.”
Women’s Tour 2015 winner Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv)
“In other parts of the world we have to link with the men’s races to get people there, get the media there and get the sponsors involved. Britain is ahead of the rest of the world in terms of women’s cycling.”
Joanna Rowsell (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International)
“Most women’s races are watched by crowds amounting to a few men and their dogs, so even star names like Marianne Vos were blown away by it. It was a huge step forward, not just for women’s cycling in Britain, but also internationally.”
- Yellow: General classification.
- Blue and white: Points classification.
- Orange and white polka dots: Queen of the mountains.
- Purple: Best British rider.
- White: Best young rider.
- 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds will be awarded to the first three finishers on each stage.
- 3, 2 and 1 second will be awarded to the first three riders over the line at intermediate sprints.
2014: Marianne Vos (Ned).
