British block continues with Women’s Tour – Preview

Words: Rebecca Bland
Photos: Honor Elliott

After a successful weekend at the RideLondon Classique, from 6 to 11 June we'll be racing once again on British soil at the Women's Tour. One of the most prestigious women's stage races on the calendar, this WorldTour event is a fan favourite and this year’s route will provide some challenging racing. 

“I’m very excited to be back racing on British soil!” says our homegrown talent Lizzie Holden. “The last time I raced in the UK was the National Championships in 2019 and also the Women’s Tour that year, which I unfortunately had to abandon due to a crash. I’ve got a lot of motivation to make this a better one.”

As an international team with a big British heart, it means a lot for the whole program to be invited to the Women’s Tour once again. 

“Being a part of a British team too feels a little bit more special,” says Lizzie. “The fans are always so welcoming. We're coming with a strong team to target all the terrains the Tour is throwing at us. I think there’s a chance for everyone with sprint stages, punchy stages and the mountain top finish up Black Mountain.”

The 734km journey across the middle of Great Britain begins in Colchester and finishes in Oxford. The organisers have included two Welsh stages this year, with one finishing atop the fearsome Black Mountain, so there will be plenty of opportunities for the climbers in this race like Lizzie. It’s not strictly for the climbers, however, with plenty to keep the puncheurs and sprinters interested. 

The team has enjoyed success at the Women’s Tour before, with Alice Barnes placing sixth overall in 2017, and Joss Lowden taking tenth last season. 

Add to that the run of form the team has from the RideLondon Classique and LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour, and the squad is excited to be racing on home soil once again and with a strong lineup. 

“Coming off the back of the Lotto Thüringen Tour, I'm feeling pretty good and hopefully I can carry it through to the Women’s Tour,” continued Lizzie. 

“It would be amazing to target the GC, but also animating the race and going for stages is something that excites me. After the win in Veenendaal-Veenendaal with Gladys, I think the motivation is super high within the team and I hope we can carry this momentum on and take another win on home soil."

Le Col - Wahoo team for the Women’s Tour:

• Lizzie Holden

• April Tacey

• Jesse Vandenbulcke

• Marjolein Van 't Geloof

• Maike van der Duin

• Gladys Verhulst
  

The 2022 edition of the Women's Tour will also have full live TV coverage on Eurosport and GCN+, plus the highlights show on ITV4 each evening.