Barker & Deignan in GB's Tour of Britain Women team

Olympic medallists Elinor Barker and Lizzie Deignan will headline Great Britain's six-strong team for this year's Tour of Britain Women.

Deignan, 35, and Barker, 29, will be joined by Elynor Backstedt, Anna Henderson, Millie Couzens and Flora Perkins.

Wales will host the first two stages of the race, which starts on 6 June, with the event ending in Leigh, Greater Manchester on 9 June.

Welsh cyclist Barker, who won gold in the women's team pursuit at the Rio Games in 2016, said it will be "incredibly special to race on home soil".

The seven-time world track champion added: "The energy and support from the crowds is unparalleled.

"For me personally, I am particularly excited that two of the stages will be hosted in Wales on some iconic roads, which will undoubtedly make for a challenging and competitive race."

The first edition under the race's new name - previously known solely as the Women's Tour - will begin in Welshpool, with stage one ending in Llandudno.

Teams will go through Wrexham on day two, with the third stage starting in Warrington before the race concludes in Greater Manchester.

The Women's Tour was cancelled in 2023 after organisers failed to find the funding required for the race.

Deignan, who took silver at the London Olympics in 2012, won the Women’s Tour in 2016 and 2019 and last month said she was "really grateful" to British Cycling for bringing the event back "against the odds".