The Women’s Tour’s first-ever stage in the picturesque county of Gloucestershire will come on stage three of the 2022 race.

A spectator-friendly Tewkesbury to Gloucester stage on Wednesday 8 June will play a key role in deciding who is crowned this year’s overall champion.

Stage three’s route will head west into the Forest of Dean upon leaving the start, before finishing in the heart of the cathedral city by Gloucester Docks.

With the start and finish locations separated by a little over 10 miles, fans will easily be able to attend both on race day, which will further add to the atmosphere at this free-to-watch sporting spectacle.

Gloucestershire County Council’s commitment to supporting tourism and active travel will see the Tour of Britain, the UK’s most prestigious men’s cycle race, also visit the county in 2022 on Friday 9 September.

Quotes

Mick Bennett, Women’s Tour race director, said: “Today’s announcement takes us one step closer to fully unveiling what promises to be a thrilling and unpredictable 2022 Women’s Tour, and I thank everybody involved behind-the-scenes for their support of this world-class event.

“We know there are many cycling fans in Gloucestershire, so being able to take the race to the famous county for the first time in 2022 is fantastic news. But more than that, we’re excited that the Tewkesbury to Gloucester stage will give local residents the chance to watch the best riders in the world in action, potentially on multiple occasions, for free!”

Mark Hawthorne, Leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “With details of the fantastic route the men’s tour will take through Gloucestershire now revealed, we can all begin making plans for where in the county we’ll go to watch cycling’s most elite race. We are also thrilled that we’ve been able to secure a stage of the Woman’s Tour for Gloucestershire. Although details of the route the woman’s race will take are yet to be announced, we are confident wherever you live in the county, the tour will be coming to a town or village near you. The benefits to the county from having two stages will be significant so I hope everyone is getting excited, I know I am!”

About the 2022 Women’s Tour

The race’s opening stage, taking place between Colchester and Bury St Edmunds (Monday 6 June), a return to Carmarthenshire for a summit finish atop Black Mountain on day five (Friday 10 June), and spectacular final stage between Chipping Norton and Oxford in Oxfordshire were announced in March.

Highlights of this year’s race will once again be shown on ITV4 in the UK, and around the world via Eurosport and GCN. Women’s Tour organisers SweetSpot continue to work on securing the funding required to broadcast the event live. Visit sweetspotgroup.co.uk/partnerships for more information.

While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.