Cycling's Women's Tour comes to Suffolk

10 June 2019, 06:26 | Updated: 10 June 2019, 06:40

Some of the world's best cyclists will be zooming through Suffolk later.

The county is hosting the first stage of six of the OVO Energy Women's Tour.

Today the riders will cycle 157.6km - starting in Beccles at 10.30am and finishing in Stowmarket town centre at around 3pm.

There are 96 riders spread across 16 teams.

Created by SweetSpot Group in 2014, the OVO Energy Women’s Tour is the UK’s first international stage race for women, bringing the world’s top riders to compete in Great Britain as a part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour.

In addition to its wider aims of promoting active and healthy lifestyles to women, the event has championed equality in sport, notably offering the same prize fund pro rata as the men’s OVO Energy Tour of Britain. 

This year the race has expanded to six days for the first time in its history.

The stages are as follows:

• Stage One, Monday 10 June, Beccles to Stowmarket, 157.6km
• Stage Two, Tuesday 11 June, the Kent Cyclopark Stage, 62.5km
• Stage Three, Wednesday 12 June, Henley-on-Thames to Blenheim Palace, 145.1km
• Stage Four, Thursday 13 June, Warwick to Burton Dassett Country Park, 158.9km
• Stage Five, Friday 14 June, Llandrindod Wells to Builth Wells, 140km
• Stage Six, Saturday 15 June, Carmarthen to Pembrey Country Park, 125.9km