Some of the UK’s biggest stars have been named in the line-up for next week’s Tour of Britain Women (ToB). World and national champions and rising Grand Tour stars, as well as young up and comers from a variety of WorldTour teams, are all on the list.
Among the biggest names are sisters Zoe and Elynor Bäckstedt, riding for Canyon-SRAM and UAE L’Imad respectively. Zoe is the reigning national champion, both on the road and in the time trial, as well as the U23 time trial world champion, while her sister is a key team rider and herself finished on the National TT podium this year.
Those joining the sisters include Giro d’Italia revelation Lauren Dickson (FDJ United-SUEZ), who finished 11th on GC after a strong race in support of team leader Demi Vollering. A late-June crash at the Tour de Suisse saw her break a collarbone, and the ToB will be her first race back.
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The line-up will also include another three national road champions in the form of former top-five finisher Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL) and Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Alice Towers, who will be riding for a Great Britain Cycling Team (GBCT). Couzens will be joined by team-mate Flora Perkins.
Recent medallists at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games Jess Roberts and Anna Morris are also set to take the start line in Cockermouth next Wednesday. The pair were part of the Commonwealth bronze medal-winning squad in the team pursuit, behind old adversaries Australia last month, with New Zealand second. They will be riding for the Great Britain team with Towers.
Backing up Roberts, Morris and Towers in the GBCT will be youngsters Amalie Cooper (21), Ruby Oakes (20) and first year senior Rebecca Gardiner.
The WorldTour-ranked race begins in Cockermouth in Cumbria next Wednesday 19 August, and runs for five stages, heading south via finishes in Blackpool, Great Orme and Hay-on-Wye, before dog-legging across England for a final stage based on Leamington Spa.
Among the top international competitors listed to start are double former stage winner and recent Tour de France Femmes green jersey winner Lorena Wiebes (SDWorx-Protime), Vuelta Femenina winner Paula Blasi (UAE L’Imad) and Tour de France Femmes GC star Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM).
