Details of the inaugural Women's Tour have been announced today. The five day cycle race is being launched in May 2014 by the organisers of the Tour of Britain, SweetSpot.
Following in Team GB's success in women's cycling at the Olympics, the first international women's stage-race to be held in the UK aims to bring "the world's top riders to compete against Britain's Olympic heroines."
The UCI, which as world cycling's governing body grades all men's and women's stage races, has announced that the Women's Tour will have the same status - 2.1 - as the men's Tour of Britain which takes place in September. This places the Women's Tour among the highest rated women's events, meaning that it should attract the best riders to compete.
Before his election to the Presidency of the UCI in September, Brian Cookson said that the Women's Tour "will be the first step in having a full equivalent Tour of Britain as it develops," and suggested exploring the idea of the reinstatement of a Tour de France for women - an idea backed by Marianne Vos, Emma Pooley, and more than 95,000 others.
Lizzie Armitstead for one is setting her sights on victory at home in May: I'm really grateful to the organisers and really happy that I can focus my season around a home tour, which is pretty special...I never thought I'd get that in my career, so I'm really excited about it!"
Running from Wednesday 7th to Sunday 11th May, the Women's Tour will comprise five stages, the first two stages winding their way through Northamptonshire, Leicestershire and Bedfordshire.
The town council of historic Oundle, which will host the Grand Depart, has promised both picturesque surroundings and "an exciting programme of activities to celebrate this significant event."
Details of stages 3-5, which we understand will focus on the East Midlands and East Anglia, will be announced over the coming months.
You can follow The Women's Tour on Twitter, via www.twitter.com/thewomenstour or on Facebook via www.facebook.com/thewomenstour.
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