'Intense' time for Women's Tour with equal prize money

A cricket World Cup is under way, the French Open tennis Grand Slam is approaching its climax, and football never stops.

When the women's Tour of Britain returns this week, it will hit some serious traffic.

The summer of sport schedule is about to erupt further with Euro 2024, but the return of a pivotal cycling race represents an important moment for women's sport - and a key checkpoint on the road to the Paris Olympics.

Under the stewardship of British Cycling - following the collapse of previous organisers Sweetspot - the race has been put together in very little time by a team including former Ineos Grenadiers boss Rod Ellingworth.

"It's a really exciting time to be part of sport which has changed a lot since I became a pro five years ago," says 22-year-old Elynor Backstedt – Lidl Trek's one-day racing ace who will compete for the Great Britain squad.

"Races have got more intense, and some have got so much longer, with teams getting bigger to accommodate – it's really exciting the sport is expanding."

This has been achieved with the rarest of statements in women's cycling: prize money parity.

The Tour of Britain Women has long been admired as a progressive race, given Sweetspot's previous efforts to have an equal prize pot to the men's event, which typically runs in September.

This year's race has an overall prize fund of nearly 60,000 euros (£51,045). This is proportionately the same as the men's race - albeit accounting for the women's tour being two days shorter this year, at four stages.

"We made a big commitment to prize money for the Tour of Britain Women this year," says British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton. "The aspiration next year is for two full six-stages events."

For context, the biggest race in women's cycling these days is the Tour de France Femmes, where the overall winner receives just a tenth of the 500,000 euros taken by the winner of the yellow jersey in the men’s race.

But there's another prize over the horizon bigger than a pot of gold.

With the Paris Olympics selection upcoming, this is one of the biggest chances for riders to get in the mix.

You don't have to claim the green jersey overall to make it to Paris, but it would help two-time winner Lizzie Deignan, 35, who fronts the GB team.

She has already proclaimed she is pretty happy with the course and some of the climbs which appeal to her tough, uncompromising breakaway-style riding.

Many will hope the broken arm she sustained during the Tour of Flanders this season will not prevent a fairytale return to form over the summer, following the birth of her second child in 2022.

But there are track stars vying for attention too. Olympic gold medallist and seven-time track world champion Elinor Barker also wants to feels the love from the side of the road.

"It's always incredibly special to race on home soil where the energy and support from the crowds is unparalleled," Barker, 29, says.

"The race comes at an important time in our preparations for a huge summer of cycling – we can't wait."

Barker, usually of the Uno-X team, also features in a strong GB squad, which includes Visma-Lease A Bike's Anna Henderson.

But this is no training ride. Unlike with the men's event, the Tour of Britain Women is a World Tour race – and many of the world's best riders are here,, external including Belgian world road champion and Paris-Roubaix winner Lotte Kopecky for the mighty SD Worx team.

It has not been easy for British Cycling to resurrect the race so quickly, but it comes in part thanks to a multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Lloyds Bank, which is said to be "one of the biggest in British sport", according to Dutton.

There is little doubt this time around they have called in a few favours from the contacts book who have faithfully held stages of the race in recent years – stretching as it does across Wales and over into north-west England.

The really harsh climbs occur on the first two days across Wales, including Llangynog's imposing category one test near Snowdonia, and Llangollen's Horseshoe Pass, on the way back to Wrexham.

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

The remaining roads around the Peak District near Manchester and Warrington will be no less demanding on the legs, as the stress increases for those intent on making an impression on Olympic selection.

Great Britain team:

Elynor Backstedt

Elinor Barker

Millie Couzens

Lizzie Deignan

Anna Henderson

Flora Perkins

Stages:

Stage 1 – Thursday, 6 June 2024: Welshpool to Llandudno

Stage 2 – Friday, 7 June 2024: Wrexham to Wrexham

Stage 3 – Saturday, 8 June 2024: Warrington to Warrington

Stage 4 – Sunday, 9 June 2024: Greater Manchester: National Cycling Centre to Leigh