Human Powered Health Cycling is in Great Britain to compete in the penultimate Women’s WorldTour stage race of the season, the five-day Lloyds Tour of Britain Women from August 19 through 23.
Taking place in both England and Wales, the route balances the heavy rolling roads that Britain is well known for with opportunities for bunch sprints, as well as a decisive uphill finish to the Great Orme on stage 3.
After an injury sidelined her for much of the summer, climber and Vuelta a España Femenina queen stage victor Petra Stiasny returns to racing in Britain.
The Swiss is joined by Yurani Blanco, Nina Buijsman, Canadian champion Maggie Coles-Lyster, Marta Jaskulska, and Marit Raaijmakers. A strong roster that reflects the parcours with opportunities for both strong puncheurs and sprinters alike.
A Brit’s Guide to the Tour of Britain
To break the fourth wall a little bit here, this author is, in fact, British. So, for those less familiar with racing on this side of the Atlantic, welcome to Britain, a small island with an impressive number of hills, exceptionally narrow roads and a national obsession with discussing the weather.
This next week is an excellent opportunity to see some of the most beautiful parts of England and Wales while asking the riders to climb nearly 9,000 metres in the process.
A few useful translations may help.
“Rolling roads” means there are hills.
“Undulating” means there are quite a lot of hills.
“A challenging climb” means you start to question the mania behind putting a road on this hill.
Then there is the weather. The forecast may say sunshine, rain, wind, or all three simultaneously. If the locals describe it as “a bit fresh,” prepare for anything.
The scenery is generally lovely. The roads can be less so. Villages will be picturesque, hedgerows will be abundant, and somewhere nearby there will inevitably be a pub serving chips that looks like it has been there since 1776… so pretty modern.
And don’t worry about pronouncing every place name correctly. Nobody else does either.
And if someone tells you a stage is “not too hilly”, do not believe them.
Lloyds Tour of Britain Women Stage by Stage
8/19
Stage 1
Route: Cockermouth – Cockermouth
Distance: 158.9 km
Parcours: Rolling
Look out for: The 3.9 km at 3.7% Parsonby Brow climb just before the final circuit
What matters: Climbing legs and staying vigilant in the wind along the coast
Stage 1 takes place in the stunning Lake District area of England. After two categorized climbs and an exposed stretch by the Irish Sea, the race comes back into Cockermouth before a final undulating loop leads to what could be a narrow sprint finish or an ideal chance for a late breakaway.
8/20
Stage 2
Route: Clitheroe – Blackpool
Distance: 110.5 km
Parcours: Flat
Look out for: A doubleheader of climbs early on in the stage
What matters: A strong lead-out going into the finale
After a hilly opening third of the stage, up the 3.3 km at 6.5% Waddington Hill and 2.5 km at 6.8% Nick O’Pendle climbs, stage 2 races to the historic beachside resort of Blackpool. Sprinters will need to stay in contention and have something in reserve, relying on a strong lead-out for a potential bunch sprint.
8/21
Stage 3
Route: Mold – The Great Orme
Distance: 104.7 km
Parcours: Uphill finish
Look out for: The final Great Orme ramp, 1.4 km at 7.4%
What matters: Staying at the forefront of the action from the start of the final climb, 6 kilometers from the line
Stage 3 takes the race to Wales for what could be the most decisive day for the general classification. Finishing atop a limestone headland just off Llandudno, the final steep climb and its lead-in will break the peloton apart and will suit puncheurs with a first final kick.
8/22
Stage 4
Route: Llanidloes – Hay-on-Wye
Distance: 138.3 km
Parcours: Rolling
Look out for: The scenery. We’re in the Brecon Beacons, it’s beautiful!
What matters: Being in the front group over the 700-meter at 7% Clyro Hill that tops out 16 kilometers from the flat finish
Although it may look inconspicuous, stage 4 actually has the most climbing of the week with 1,988 meters in total elevation gain. There are only two categorized climbs on the route, but the parcours is consistently tough and rarely flat, an Ardennes-style stage.
8/23
Stage 5
Route: Royal Leamington Spa – Royal Leamington Spa
Distance: 123.8 km
Parcours: Rolling
Look out for: The back-to-back 1.2 km at 7.7% Sun Rising Hill and 1.5 km at 5.5% Burton Dasset climbs to act as launchpads
What matters: Cresting the two climbs before an undulating final 30 kilometers to the finish
The race ends with another tough hilly stage which will bring the GC fight down to the wire. Historically, the leaders jersey changes hands frequently at the Tour of Britain Women, and the final day is yet another chance for puncheurs to race for glory.
How to watch
USA
HBO Max
Stage 1 from 5:40 am EDT / 4:40 am CDT / 3:40 am MDT / 2:30 am PDT
Stage 2 from 8:10 am EDT / 7:10 am CDT / 6:10 am MDT / 5:10 am PDT
Stage 3 from 7:25 am EDT / 6:25 am CDT / 5:25 am MDT / 4:25 am PDT
Stage 4 from 8:15 am EDT / 7:15 am CDT / 6:15 am MDT / 5:15 am PDT
Stage 5 from 6:55 am EDT / 5:55 am CDT / 4:55 am MDT / 3:55 am PDT
Europe
Eurosport/Discovery+/HBO Max (territory dependent)
Stage 1 from 11:40 CET
Stage 2 from 13:10 CET
Stage 3 from 12:25 CET
Stage 4 from 13:15 CET
Stage 5 from 11:55 CET
UK
HBO Max/TNT Sports
Highlights on ITV4 & ITVX
Stage 1 from 10:40 BST
Stage 2 from 12:10 BST
Stage 3 from 11:25 BST
Stage 4 from 12:15 BST
Stage 5 from 10:55 BST
The race can also be watched via YouTube with the same timing schedule
Times correct as of the date of publication
What our athletes think
Maggie Coles-Lyster
It’’s been a pretty successful summer. I had a great June, winning the Maple Leaf along with other good results and am now coming off a good Tour of Poland and Commonwealth Games (track) where I won a bronze medal. I’ve been in the UK for nearly three weeks now, have my partner and his family coming to cheer me on, and had an opportunity to ride part of stage 2, so I’m just in a really great headspace heading into ToB and am excited to race. There’s no sugarcoating that it is going to be a hard Tour of Britain. On paper, there should be a couple of sprint days, but even those days have some nasty climbs that will for sure break up the peloton. This part of the world doesn’t seem to have long climbs, but the ones they have are steep! The entire Tour, I think, will be a bit of a race of attrition and just gutting it out over the hard features on the course.
Petra Stiasny
I have had a good summer even with the injury. I had a double fracture in the jaw and the shoulder. I had surgery on one fracture; the other was too complicated to operate, so I had four screws in my mouth to keep it shut for four weeks. Two days after the surgery, I could train again on the home trainer. I did four weeks indoors, so I could basically train quite well. Sure, it was uncomfortable at times with the screws and only being able to drink my food, but after four weeks I could train outside again, and I had a good training block in Sierra Nevada. I remembered that even when I rode indoors for hours every day, I enjoyed it somehow because I just love riding my bike and training. It was motivating to watch the big races to see where I also want to be next year. And I really enjoyed following the racing of my teammates. I’m super excited to be back racing now really missed it, and I’m really looking forward to seeing and spending time with the team again, both teammates and staff. I really missed being around the team. I’ve never been to Great Britain, but it’s a big race, and I’m looking forward to it.
Photos: GettySport, Human Powered Health, SWPix.com, Lloyds Tour of Britain Women
