British Biking has unveiled a star-studded Nice Britain squad to line up on the new-look Tour of Britain Girls on June 6-9.
The group will carry collectively British riders from throughout the peloton on the Girls’s WorldTour stage race, with large names together with Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) and Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease A Bike) among the many six-rider choice.
Becoming a member of Deignan and Henderson within the squad is one other Lidl-Trek racer, Elynor Bäckstedt, plus 2016 Olympic gold medallist Elinor Barker (Uno-X Mobility) and Fenix-Deceuninck riders Millie Couzens and Flora Perkins.
“We’re delighted to have the ability to affirm such a powerful Nice Britain Biking Group for the inaugural Lloyds Financial institution Tour of Britain Girls,” stated British Biking efficiency director Stephen Park.
“We all know that the group will relish the uncommon alternative to race at residence, and for the Paris hopefuls among the many squad, the occasion will play an important function within the ultimate preparations for the Video games. We all know that they’re going to add actual energy and stardust to the race and count on followers might be out in pressure to point out their assist.”
With energy in depth, the group appears to be among the many strongest set to line up on the June race, going through off in opposition to WWT squads together with SD Worx-Protime, DSM-Firmenich PostNL, Jayco-AlUla, and Human Powered Well being.
Wit Bäckstedt and Barker each hailing from Wales, they’ll seemingly notably take pleasure in racing the opening two phases within the northern a part of the nation.
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“It is all the time extremely particular to race on residence soil the place the vitality and assist from the crowds is unparalleled,” Barker stated. “For me personally, I’m notably excited that two of the phases might be hosted in Wales on some iconic roads, which is able to undoubtedly make for a difficult and aggressive race.
“The Lloyds Financial institution Tour of Britain Girls comes at an vital time in our preparations for an enormous summer season of biking. I feel I converse for the entire squad after I say we’re extraordinarily motivated to placed on an excellent present in June – we will not wait.”
The Tour of Britain Girls is now beneath the management of British Biking after the previous organiser of each girls’s and males’s occasions, SweetSpot, misplaced the fitting to run them, reportedly over unpaid race licence charges.
The brand new-look race, again following a yr off the calendar after SweetSpot had didn’t safe sponsorship for the 2023 version, now enjoys title backing from Lloyds Financial institution, and might be run beneath the directorship of former Ineos Grenadiers deputy Rod Ellingworth.
“It has been a monumental effort by the entire group over the previous 10 weeks to substantiate the phases for this yr’s Tour of Britain Girls,” Ellingworth stated as the race route was introduced in April.
“The race will absorb 4 aggressive and difficult routes, some difficult climbing in Wales and what I am positive might be good crowds on the roadside all through.”
The 2024 Tour of Britain Girls will begin with a stage from Welshpool to Llandudno on June 6 earlier than internet hosting a stage in Wrexham the following day and transferring throughout the border for stage 3 in Warrington. The closing fourth stage might be held on the Nationwide Biking Centre in Leigh.
