Women’s Tour of Britain is born

Marianne Vos says race “will be huge for future of women’s cycling”

In just a decade, Tour of Britain organisers Sweetspot have grown the race from nothing into one of the best stage races in the world. They’ll now be hoping that their new Women’s Tour will follow a similar trajectory. The five-stage race, based in south- east England from 7-11 May, is, along with La Course at Le Tour de France, one of two major additions to the women’s calendar in 2014 and it has attracted all of the biggest teams. Marianne Vos is making it one of her first assignments of the season and holds much anticipation for it, given it’s her first race in the country since the 2012 London Olympics and the boost she believes the race will give her sport.

“It’s going to be fantastic,” she told Procycling. “It was a different kind of racing at the Olympics with different kinds of spectators – for them there was no difference between the men and the women – and there isn’t that inequality you see in many parts of Europe. In the English speaking countries, like the USA, Britain and Australia, where the sport developed later, it feels likes men’s and women’s cycling came up together. They’re not different sports.”

She says that while races like La Course, which combine with a men’s event, is something she wants to see more of, the fact that the Women’s Tour is its own event is extra special. “In sports like tennis and athletics, when men’s and women’s events have combined calendars, there’s a boost with media coverage but the Women’s Tour is our own event. We’re the head schedule, the main event and the attention is all on us. That’s fantastic. I have a feeling the race will be huge for the future of women’s cycling. It’s proof that we’re moving forward with actions now, not just with words.”