Britain’s most prestigious women’s cycle race, the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, will end with two gruelling stages in Wales next month.
Olympic, world, commonwealth and national champions including the likes of British heroine Lizzie Deignan and Marianne Vos – widely considered the best rider of all time – will tackle the race’s hardest ever stage in Powys on Friday 14 June.
Having hosted the Grand Depart of the 2018 OVO Energy Tour of Britain, Carmarthenshire will then welcome the final day of this year’s Women’s Tour on Saturday 15 June.
This will be the first year that Wales has hosted two stages of the race, which forms part of the prestigious UCI Women’s WorldTour series.
“Wales offers a mix of stunning landscapes, gorgeous towns and challenging terrain, which makes it the perfect location for two stages of this year’s OVO Energy Women’s Tour,” said race director Mick Bennett.
Supported by the Welsh Government, the 140-kilometre (87-mile) route through Powys – the first time the county has welcomed the Women’s Tour - features the SKODA Queen of the Mountains climbs of Gorddwr Bank and Pennau along its unrelenting course.
The total elevation gain of 2,206 metres makes stage five of this year’s race the hardest in the event’s history and more challenging than a Tour de France mountain.
Bennett added: “We’re delighted to be working with the Welsh Government, Powys County Council and Welsh Cycling to bring Britain’s leading women’s race to the county for the first time on stage five. Without doubt this is the hardest stage of the event we’ve ever put on – there’s little doubt that the rider who crosses the line first in the Royal Welsh Showground will be extremely worthy of their success!”
The world’s best riders will then tackle a 126-kilometre (79-mile) stage between Carmarthen and Pembrey Country Park on day six of Britain’s most prestigious women’s cycle race.
In a first for the Women’s Tour, the peloton will complete a lap of the Carmarthen Velodrome as part of the stage’s ceremonial start, as well as taking in part of Pembrey’s new, closed-road cycle circuit on the approach to the finish line.
Local interest for stage six comes in the form of Drops rider Manon Lloyd, who hails from Carmarthenshire and has assisted the race’s organisational team in planning the day’s route.
She said: “I’ve always dreamed of having a home race and getting the chance to go past my front door is incredibly exciting – it’s a really nice surprise! The Tour of Britain’s visit to Carmarthenshire last year was one of the biggest things ever to happen in the county, and I know the Women’s Tour’s visit will be equally as popular.
“We’ve got some of the hardest roads in Britain, so this will be a really difficult stage. Having family and friends out will give me that extra boost to push that little bit harder!”
Launched in 2014, the OVO Energy Women’s Tour is widely regarded as the world’s leading international stage race for women. The race attracts 300,000 roadside spectators, in addition to a worldwide television and online audience of nearly five million people.
Last year’s edition provided an £7.8 million economic boost to the economy, with 87 per cent of visitors to the race describing it as “very enjoyable”.
Further information on competing teams, stage timetables and the ITV4 broadcast schedule will be released in due course.
