Stage Six
11 June 2022
Download the stage map here. Download the stage timetable here.
The 2022 Women’s Tour will end with a spectacular Oxfordshire finale in June, with stage six taking place between Chipping Norton and Oxford city centre.
As part of race organiser SweetSpot’s three-year partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, alongside the county’s city and district councils, this stage will visit parts of the county that did not feature in previous stages.
Neither Chipping Norton, the county’s highest town, or Oxford have hosted a stage start or finish of the race to date, although the world’s best riders did pass through the historic city’s eastern side during last year’s stage from Bicester to Banbury.
Total elevation: 1,300m
High Street, Chipping Norton – 11am
B4026 – 11:15am
Butcher’s Hill (cat 3) – 11:47am
The Hill Burford (cat 3) – 12:27pm
Carterton – 12:35pm
Burcot – 2:26pm
St Giles’, Oxford – 3pm
Click here for the full stage timetable
CHIPPING NORTON
Host venue for the first time
Affectionately known as Chippy by the locals, Chipping Norton is a historic town in the West Oxfordshire district. This bustling market town is perched on the highest point in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds so is the county’s highest town.
Chipping Norton was once a centre for the Cotswold wool trade and was given a Royal charter by King John in 1205. The medieval Guildhall and St Mary’s Church reflect the prosperity brought by the wool trade. Later, sheep farming was largely replaced by arable, but agriculture remained important in this part of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. Many of the original houses around the market place were rebuilt in the 18th century with fashionable Georgian frontages and visitors can discover more by walking the town’s trail or popping into the local museum.
Renowned for its antique shops and diverse independent shopping offer, including a regular market – Chipping Norton retains a robust living, working market town atmosphere. There is good choice of places to eat and top quality entertainment at the wonderful Theatre, famous for its pantomime and visiting world-class performers and even an outdoor lido. The town is looking forward to hosting events again especially the renowned cultural annual literacy festival, celebrations for the platinum jubilee and the Women’s Tour.
The nearby Neolithic and Bronze Age megalithic monuments called the Rollright stones are definitely worth a visit. With Chipping Norton surrounded by wonderful rural countryside, plan your visit to explore by foot or bike and enjoy the wider rural Cotswolds.
OXFORD
Host venue for the first time
Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires, has been home to royalty and scholars for over 800 years. It is now a bustling cosmopolitan location, mixing its historic university alongside a growing tech community.
The world-famous University of Oxford has produced a number of world-class athletes, including four-minute miler Sir Roger Bannister and Imran Khan, cricketer-turned-Prime Minister of Pakistan. The university’s alumni have won 170 Olympic medals to date.
Its athletes can also be spotted year-round training on the River Thames, over which the peloton will pass via the Folly Bridge en route to the finish line. There has been a bridge on the site since Saxon times; the modern incarnation offers a view of one of Oxford’s famous colleges – Christ Church – in the distance.
Christ Church was founded in 1546, although a college has been based here since 1525. Prior to the dissolution of the monasteries, the site was occupied by a priory dedicated to the memory of St Frideswide, the patron saint of both university and city.
Most University of Oxford colleges contain a chapel, but Christ Church’s is a cathedral – making Oxford a city. The cathedral, which is one of the oldest buildings in Oxford, contains the Shrine of St Frideswide.
Oxford has a thriving arts scene of theatre, exhibitions, museums and events. With one of the youngest populations of any British city, the historic facades are not museums but places of work and enterprise.
While many visitors come as much for Oxford’s involvement in the Harry Potter films as for its history, anybody wishing to further explore the city’s cultural offering should visit Cowley Road, where its different communities are represented in shops, restaurants and events.
The finish of this year’s Women’s Tour will take place on St Giles’, one of Oxford’s most historic streets. Here sits Martyrs’ Memorial, commemorating the Oxford Martyrs who were burnt at the stake for their religious beliefs and teachings in 1555, and St John’s College. This was originally founded in 1555 as a men’s college to provide a source of educated Roman Catholic clerics to support the Counter-Reformation under Queen Mary.
St Giles’ is also home to the Eagle and Child public house, where J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and other members of the “Inklings” literary discussion group would meet. St Giles’ Church (which originates from the 12th Century and now includes the city’s main War Memorial) and the Triton Fountain, which depicts Triton, son of the sea god Poseidon in Greek mythology, both sit at the street’s northern end.
Meet Brigitte, who runs the Windrush Bike Project, which aims to help people get cycling in West Oxfordshire.
Attending this stage of the Women’s Tour? Our spectator information guides will help you plan your visit to the UK’s leading women’s cycle race.
These guides are produced especially for the event by our host venues, ensuring that fans can benefit from specialist local information to ensure they have a memorable day at the Tour.
Click here to download our Chipping Norton spectator guide (PDF)
Click here to download our Oxford spectator guide (PDF)
Want to help spread the word about the Women’s Tour’s visit to Oxfordshire?
Download our free assets today!
The Women’s Tour operates a rolling road closure system, as opposed to a full road closure, to minimise disruption as much as possible.
Roads along the stage route will only be closed for a short window – approximately 30 minutes – while the race passes through.
Watch the video above for more information on how our rolling road closure system works.
Click here for more details of stage six road closures.
There’s no better way of watching the action at this year’s Women’s Tour than with our hospitality packages!
Secure a front-row seat at our stage starts and finishes, topped off with delicious food and drinks specifically chosen for cycling fans.
Fans can now book their hospitality passes for the Chipping Norton start and Oxford finish via Sportsbreaks.com, the official hospitality partner of the Women’s Tour.
Additionally, our expert team can build bespoke packages to suit your needs. Contact Seb Roberts for more information.
