Tuesday 19 May 2020 15:55, UK
World-class women's cycling returns to the roads of Britain for the third staging of the Aviva Women's Tour from June 15-19.
The first two editions were both huge successes, with thousands of fans cheering Marianne Vos to victory in 2014 and Lisa Brennauer to the title in 2015.
This year's race boasts another stellar field, led by world champion Lizzie Armitstead and Olympic champion Vos.
Here is everything you need to know about the five-day race...
Stage 1: Wednesday, June 15 – Southwold to Norwich – 138km
The race begins with a gently rolling first stage in Norfolk that is almost certain to end in a sprint.
Start time: 10.15am. Estimated finish: 1.53pm.
Stage 2: Thursday, June 16 – Atherstone to Stratford-upon-Avon – 140km
The race starts to get hilly on stage two and the peloton is likely to be whittled down, particularly on the late ascent of Ilmington, but a sprint is the most probable outcome.
Start time: 10.15am. Estimated finish: 1.57pm.
Stage 3: Friday, June 17 – Ashbourne to Chesterfield – 109km
This is the shortest stage of the race but arguably the hardest. The hills of Peak District are almost certain to break up the peloton, and particular damage will be done on the savagely steep Bank Road in Matlock. It’s likely that there will only be a handful of riders left at the head of the race when they arrive in Chesterfield.
Start time: 11am. Estimated finish: 1.53pm.
Stage 4: Saturday, June 18 – Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent – 119km
This is another tough and potentially decisive day. Although there is more flat road than the previous stage, the slightly uphill finish in Stoke is much tougher.
Start time: 10.45am. Estimated finish: 1.53pm.
Stage 5: Sunday, June 19 – Northampton to Kettering – 113km
The race concludes with a rolling stage that should end in a sprint. If time gaps in the general classification are still tight, the time bonuses on offer at the finish line could be crucial.
Start time: 11am. Estimated finish: 1.58pm.
Lizzie Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans)
The reigning world champion is almost universally regarded as the best rider in the sport at the moment, even if she is only ranked No 4 in the world. She is strong on every terrain and can win in any scenario, be that sprints, climbs or solo escapes. Armitstead won the first stage of last year's race but then crashed as she celebrated and had to abandon with her injuries. Having been dogged by illness in the 2014 edition, she will be hoping for better fortunes this time around.
Lisa Brennauer (Canyon-SRAM)
The 28-year-old German is back to defend her title after winning a stage, the points classification and the race overall last year. Brennauer's consistency in sprint finishes was the key to her victory 12 months ago and given that this year's race is made up of similar stages, she is almost certain to be in contention once again.
Marianne Vos (Rabobank-Liv)
Vos is arguably the greatest women's road cyclist of all time but missed almost all of the 2015 season through injury and has been playing catch-up to the likes of Armitstead this year. However, she has still won four times and finished fourth overall at last month's Amgen Tour of California. Vos won the inaugural Women's Tour in 2014.
Anna van der Breggen (Rabobank-Liv)
Van der Breggen is a strong climber and should perform well on the hillier stages. She is also a high-pedigree stage racer, having won five general classifications during her career. This will be Van der Breggen's first appearance at the Women's Tour, but she will have to share leadership of Rabobank-Liv with Vos.
Emma Johansson (Wiggle-High5)
Johansson is the world's No 1-ranked rider and is enjoying a good season, the highlights of which so far were two stage wins and the overall title at the Euskal Emakumeen Bira stage race in Spain. Johansson finished fourth overall at the Women's Tour and second in 2014, so she usually performs well on British roads.
