The 2024 Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women departed this week with the contenders racing towards Greater Manchester for the final leg. 

Taking place over four stages from Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 June, the competition will see the UK’s best female cyclists take on global stars. The pivotal cycling race represents an important moment for women’s sport in the country and is a significant event in the build-up to the Paris Olympics later this year. 

The race will depart from Welshpool’s Broad Street in the heart of mid-Wales, with a formidable and challenging opening stage which will see riders take on 2,276m of climbing. The stage will also feature one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments, before a spectacular finish on Llandudno’s promenade. 

The race’s second stage will start and finish on Chester Street in Wrexham’s city centre and will take in some of the breathtaking scenery in Denbighshire, West Cheshire and Chester, with one sprint and two Queen of the Mountains segments along the way. 

The third stage will start and finish in front of the iconic Golden Gates of Warrington Town Hall, heading south to cross the River Mersey and Great Manchester Canal. Riders will then pass Walton Hall and Gardens before passing through the Cheshire West and Chester villages of Higher Whitley, Great Budworth and Wincham. 

As the first ever European Capital of Cycling for 2024, Greater Manchester will host the final start of the Tour of Britain Women, cementing the city’s status as the home of UK cycling. Taking an anticlockwise route, riders will cross the Ashton Canal, heading northeast to take in the towns of Shaw and Rochdale and two Queen of the Mountains segments. A fast, flat run into Leigh will set the stage for what is expected to be a spectacular finish to the race where spectators will witness history in action as the overall race winner will be crowned. 

Greater Manchester is home to the National Cycling Centre, and helps to train some of the world-class athletes in the sport and nurtures cycling talent. Names like Great Britain’s Elinor Barker, now base themselves in the city for access to leading facilities and immerse themselves in the region’s proud history of cycling. 

The Greater Manchester stage of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women will take place from 11am on Sunday 9 June.  

Find out more about all the stages here and learn how to watch by visiting the spectator information here.