British Cycling has announced full route details of next month's Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, which begins in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire on Thursday June 5 and runs to Sunday June 8, when it will finish in Glasgow.
The riders are set to be tested throughout, with a lumpy first stage, an uphill finish on stage two at Saltburn-by-the-Sea and a third stage in the Scottish Borders that is loaded with tough climbs. The race will culminate in an 8.4km (5.2-mile) city-centre finale in Glasgow that will showcase the race at the end of its first visit to Scotland.
Last year's race was won overall by Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), with team-mate Lorena Wiebes and Ruby Roseman-Gannon also etching their names on the stage winners' list. The world's best teams – riders are set to take part again this year.
As well as the race – which is ranked UCI WorldTour – there will be a Lloyds Tour of Britain Family Cycling Festival in Glasgow after the finish. This will open up the streets used on the finish lap to everyone, allowing them to ride as many laps as they like between 1 and 4pm.
Here are those stages in detail.
Stage One
Dalby Forest > Redcar, 81.5km
The first stage eases the riders in with an outing across the North York Moors and the Tees Valley to finish in Redcar on the coast. The least hilly of the three road stages, it will pit riders against two classified climbs – the first up to Blakely Ridge on the North York Moors (6km at 4%) and the second at Langburn's Bank at Castleton (2km / 5%). The day's intermediate sprint takes place a little further down the road, shortly before Guisborough.
Stage Two
Hartlepool > Saltburn-by-the-Sea, 114.3km
A stage with a sting in the tale, stage two loops inland from Hartlepool and skirts Middlesbrough, before heading for the coast again for the Saltburn finishing circuit.
This contains a flurry of climbs over two laps. Having contested the day's intermediate sprint shortly before arriving there, the riders will loop first over the cat-one climb of Marske Lane (1.5km / 4.5%) before climbing the steep Saltburn Bank – which is also where they will finish after one further lap.
This is a name that might ring a bell, having featured twice in the National Championship road race and more recently in the East Cleveland Classic.
Stage Three
Kelso > Kelso, 143.8km
The race's longest and hillest stage, involving distance and vertical ascent stats that aren't so far off the recent Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes.
Starting and finishing in the Borders town of Kelso – and representing the first time either the Tour of Britain Women or the Women's Tour has ventured into Scotland, the stage describes a pair of loops to the south and west of the town, with three QoM climbs along the way – two of them tackled twice.
First up is Scotts Views (2.5km / 2.5%), with Dingleton next (2.5km / 6%). Dunion Hill (3km / 5.4%) comes right at the foot of the course before the riders loop back through Kelso – with an intermediate sprint at the finish line in Kelso's market square. Here they begin a smaller loop, taking in both Scotts View and Dingleton again before a full-tilt finish back into Kelso.
Stage Four
Glasgow City Centre, 84km
A city centre race which, with an 8.4km lap, is a touch too long to be a criterium but will be short enough to showcase the race in front of crowds of bike fans and passing shoppers.
Starting and finishing on Glasgow Green in the centre of the city, the circuit – which will be tackled 10 times – heads along the Clyde to Finnieston Quay before looping back towards the centre via the climb of St Vincent Street.
This takes the riders back east, to the far end of the course and to the start and finish at Glasgow Green.
While there are no QoMs along the way, the riders will contest intermediate sprints at the start / finish line on laps four, six and eight.
