The Tour of Britain Women cycling event has risen from the ashes with a new identity after last year’s event was halted due to financial constraints.
The Tour of Britain Women will begin with 88 riders, and while this is a smaller field than in some of the other races in the elite racing series, several riders stand out as possible contenders for the overall classification.
While reigning champion Elisa Long-Borghini won’t be participating this year, the current world champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx-Protime) will be present.
Other names to watch out for include Lizzie Deignan (Team Great Britain), Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Henrietta Christie (Human Powered Health) and Letizia Paternoster (Liv Alula Jayco).
But when does the event start and how can I watch? Here’s what you need to know.
When is Tour of Britain Women 2024?
The Tour of Britain Women starts today, on Thursday, June 6, and runs until Sunday, June 9.
Stage one – June 6, 11.15am
Stage one will take riders through North Wales.
The day begins at Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, and turns north when the flag drops. As the peloton navigates the opening climbs of the 2024 Tour of Britain Women, the path will soon become hillier.
Following Ty'n y Llindiart's second classified climb, the race will descend the Conwy River and head into Llandudno, the stage's finish.
Stage two – June 7, 11.15am
Stage two revolves around Wrexham. After a few kilometres, the parcours enters England, funnelling the riders down simple, level roads. The first category climb and intermediate sprint of the stage crosses over into the Welsh border again.
The race will descend through the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley AONB after reaching the summit of the hill. When the race reaches Wrexham once more in the last five kilometres, the road will level out.
Stage three – June 8, 11.15am
Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain Women is held in Warrington. The course for the day will wrap around the town in the north-west on a profile that is primarily level. The route will pass through charming towns in Cheshire, including Wilmslow and Knutsford, which are suburbs of south Manchester.
Stage four – June 9, 11.15am
The 2024 edition's last stage provides a demanding and unforgiving profile around Greater Manchester. The National Cycling Centre in eastern Manchester is where the day starts. The race swiftly moves out of the urban sprawl and into hilly outlying roads.
Grains Bar appears on the profile somewhat less than 20 miles from the beginning (2.4km at 5.8 per cent). The Ramsbottom Rake, a steep kicker in Bury's outskirts, is 1.1km long and 10.1 per cent grade.
The slopes continue here. The race's last section winds through the foothills of Lancashire in a more moderate fashion, leading to the finishing town of Leigh.
How to watch Tour of Britain Women 2024
In the UK and around Europe, The Tour of Britain Women will air live on Discovery+. As of right now, no live TV broadcasts are planned for the UK or Europe.
Stage 1: Welshpool – Llandudno, Thursday, June 6
Discovery+: Midday to 2pm
Stage 2: Wrexham – Wrexham, Friday, June 7
Discovery+: Midday to 2pm
Stage 3: Warrington – Warrington, Saturday, June 8
Discovery+: Midday to 2pm
Stage 4: Manchester – Leigh, Sunday, June 9
Discovery+: Midday to 2pmOn the other hand, ITV4 will provide free-to-air highlights lasting an hour in the UK. From June 6 to June 9, these will be screened starting at 8pm on the days of the event.
