Details of the route that the Women’s Tour will take on its first-ever visit to Gloucestershire this June have today been announced.

Stage three (Wednesday 8 June) will take over 100 of the world’s top cyclists from Tewkesbury to Gloucester via the Forest of Dean.

With the start – Tewkesbury town centre – and finish – Gloucester Docks – 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.

Stage three’s route (108 kilometres / 68.3 miles) will head west into the Forest of Dean upon leaving the start, passing through Newent, Coleford, Lydney, Cinderford, and Westbury-on-Seven.

The climbs of Speech House near Cannop (1.6km long, average gradient of 5.6%) and St White’s Road to the south of Cinderford (1.2km long, average gradient of 8.1%) offer potential launchpads for attacks on the run in to the finish line in Gloucester.

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 (Friday 9 September), with that route taking in the Cotswolds and South Gloucestershire.

The Women’s Tour will feature all 14 of the top division UCI Women’s WorldTeams this year, with 18 teams and 108 riders competing in the race, the biggest field in the eight-year history of the Women’s Tour.

Women's Tour Gloucestershire stage three route

About the 2022 Women’s Tour

Before heading to Gloucestershire on stage three the race will commence in East Anglia with a Grand Départ between Colchester and Bury St Edmunds, while subsequent days of the race will include two stages in Wales (stages four and five, Thursday 9 and Friday 10 June). The latter features the most elevation gain of any stage in this year’s race (2,065m), in part owing to the summit finish atop Black Mountain in the Brecon Beacons.

The Women’s Tour will conclude in Oxfordshire on Saturday 11 June with a stage between picturesque Chipping Norton, in the Cotswolds, and the heart of historic Oxford.

Further details of all of the stages 2022 Women’s Tour – including full stage timetables, interactive maps, and competing riders – will be published shortly.

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.