The fourth edition of the Women’s Tour returns to British roads from Wednesday 7 June to Sunday 11 June when the best women’s cycling teams and riders in the world will compete over five stages, culminating in a thrilling circuit stage in central London.
Ones to watch
Last year’s winner and 2017 Tour de Yorkshire champion, Lizzie Diegnan will be back with her Boels Dolmans side with the leader’s jersey firmly in her sights.
But she will face stern competition from the likes of Lisa Brennauer (Canyon//SRAM) and three-time world and 2012 Olympic champion Marianne Vos (WM3 Pro Cycling).
Australian sprinter Chloe Hosking (Ale Cipollini), Elisa Longo Borghini (Wiggle HIGH5), Dani King (Cylance Pro Cycling), Lucinda Brand (Team Sunweb) and Katie Archibald (Team WNT) are all confirmed to ride.
Stages
Wednesday 7 June
Stage one: Daventry to Kettering
148 km
The opening stage will see the race return to familiar territory as the peloton descend upon the Northamptonshire countryside for the fourth consecutive year.
The historic market town of Daventry will host the start of the tour for the first time, and Kettering will welcome the finish of the first day of racing after a very lumpy opening stage, with 1544m of climbing.
Previous winners in Kettering include Christine Majerus and Lotta Lepisto, but who will add their name to that list in 2017 and be the first to wear the race leader’s green jersey?
Thursday 8 June
Stage two: Stoke-on-Trent stage
139 km
Former world and Olympic champion Marianne Vos took the victory in the 2016 edition of the Stoke-on-Trent stage.
Stoke-on-Trent will host both the start and the finish of the race, with the peloton tackling the increasingly hilly terrain of the Staffordshire countryside in between.
Friday 9 June
Stage three: Atherstone to Royal Leamington Spa
151 km
The Women’s Tour will head to Warwickshire for the longest stage of this year’s race, following the county’s successful hosting debut in 2016.
Atherstone will once again welcome the start of the stage, while the race will culminate in the spectacular town of Royal Leamington Spa; riders and spectators alike will be hoping for much better weather than they experienced in Warwickshire last year!
Saturday 10 June
Stage four: Chesterfield and Derbyshire
133 km
Chesterfield will once again host a finish of the Women’s Tour as stage four returns to Derbyshire in 2017.
Stage four will consist of a loop in and around Chesterfield and Derbyshire as the peloton tackle the climbs and descents of the Peak District.
Stage three of last year’s tour finished in Chesterfield, where Lizzie Deignan made her decisive move into the leader’s jersey. With another arduous day of climbing guaranteed, you can be sure that this stage will once again prove crucial to the overall standings.
Sunday 11 June
Stage five: London Stage
88 km
The 2017 Women’s Tour champion will be crowned on the streets of London, as the UK’s leading women’s cycling race visits the English capital city for the first time.
Starting and finishing from Regent Street St James, just below Piccadilly Circus, riders will contest numerous laps of the circuit to complete the 2017 Tour.
Passing sites such as Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall on every lap, the circuit is perfectly set for spectators to watch the world’s top riders racing on the streets of London.
Jerseys
OVO Energy Green Jersey
Awarded to the rider leading The Women’s Tour overall, the OVO Energy Green Jersey is worn by the rider who leads the race overall in the general classification.
Wiggle Points Jersey
Awarded to the race’s best sprinter, the Wiggle Points Jersey is The Women’s Tour’s equivalent of the Tour de France’s green jersey.
Riders will battle for bonus points at the stage finish each day. The first 15 riders across the finish line are awarded points on a 15 down to one.
SKODA Queen of the Mountains Jersey
Awarded to the best climber in The Women’s Tour, riders battle for points at two designated SKODA Queen of the Mountains climbs on each stage of the race.
Each stage will feature two designated climbs with the first six riders across the summit winning points, from six to one.
Adnams Best British Rider Jersey
The Adnams Best British Rider Jersey will be awarded to the leading British rider on general classification following each day’s stage.
Eisberg Sprints Jersey
Each stage of the Women’s Tour features two intermediate sprints, where points are awarded towards the Eisberg Sprints Jersey.
As well as claiming points, bonus seconds to be taken off their overall race time.
How to follow
- Highlights of every stage of the race will be shown on ITV4 on the evening of each day’s racing with a repeat of the hour-long programme shown the following day.
- Like all major cycling stage races, you can watch live from the roadside for free. Check out the detailed route and schedule on the Tour of Britain website to find out when the race will be passing you.
- Follow @BritishCycling on Twitter for race updates.
- A full report, results, images and reaction each day on the British Cycling website.
