The route for the Tour of Britain Women has been released, with the four-day race set to visit Scotland for the first time.
This year’s edition of the race, the only remaining major women’s race on British soil, is to take place entirely within the north-east of England and Scotland.
British Cycling took over both the men’s and women’s events in early 2024 after the previous promoter, Sweetspot, went into liquidation, and successfully put on a slightly shortened version of both races last year.
The sport’s UK governing body will again oversee the races this year, with the women’s event - won by world champion Lotte Kopecky in 2024 - taking place from 5-8 June in its usual early summer slot.
The race will begin in Dalby Forest and cross the North York Moors National Park en route to the finish in Redcar, which will host the Tour of Britain Women for the first time.
Stage two takes place entirely within the Tees Valley, starting in Hartlepool and finishing at the top of a second ascent of Saltburn Bank, a common venue for British national championships and a punishing 15% climb.
British rider Pfeiffer Georgi of Picnic-PostNL, who recently returned to racing after a serious crash at the Tour de France Femmes last summer, will be a favourite for glory in Saltburn-by-the-Sea having won the national jersey twice there, in 2023 and 2024.
Stage three visits the Scottish Borders for a route starting and finishing in the town of Kelso, including a cobbled section at the finish.
The race winner will be crowned after ten laps of an 8.4-kilometre (5.3 miles) city centre circuit in Glasgow on the final day, starting and finishing on Glasgow Green. Defending champion Kopecky won her first world road race title in Glasgow in 2023, taking advantage of a city centre circuit to power away from her rivals in the closing stages of the race, and will be among the favourites again this summer if she takes part.
Jonathan Day, Managing Director of British Cycling Events - the arm of the body which oversees the races - said: “We are delighted to be bringing some of the world’s best teams and riders to our communities this June as a part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour and to showcase the very best of their character and terrain on what will be four challenging stages.”
This year’s route may allow riders to recon potential routes for the start of the Tour de France Femmes in 2027, after a recent announcement that both the men’s and women’s Tours would kick off in the UK. The planned routes for both Grand Departs will be revealed in the autumn.
Further details for the Tour of Britain Women, including participating teams and more detailed routes, will be unveiled in the next few weeks. Plans for the Tour of Britain Men, scheduled for early September, have not yet been announced.
