The routes for this year’s Women’s Tour have been released in an event where the six-day event (Monday 4 – Saturday 9 October) will feature its first-ever individual time trial stage in North Warwickshire, while seven of the host venues are new to the race.
![]() |
News: Women’s Tour Route
Full stage routes for this year’s Women’s Tour have been released, revealing a race that looks set to go down to the wire. The six-day event (Monday 4 – Saturday 9 October) will feature its first-ever individual time trial stage in North Warwickshire, while seven of the host venues are new to the race.
Four of the Women’s Tour’s six editions to date have been decided by 11 seconds or fewer; Britain’s Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) won the most recent race – 2019 – by just two seconds over Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM). A similarly close GC battle is anticipated in 2021.
Oxfordshire will host the Grand Départ on Monday 4 October, with a spectator-friendly stage between Bicester and Banbury. The 147.6-kilometre route once again covers a large section of the county, heading as far south to Culham and the banks of the River Thames, before visiting Abingdon and Deddington on its journey north towards the finish in Banbury. The stage’s three SKODA Queen of the Mountains climbs all fall within the final 60 kilometres, the last of which at Sibford will be tackled twice as part of a 29.4-kilometre finishing circuit.
The Women’s Tour’s continued desire to innovate is evident on stage two, a kermesse around Walsall and its surrounding areas. More details of the first-ever stage to be held in Walsall, including the route and timetable, will be announced shortly.
History will be made when Atherstone hosts the first individual time trial in race history on stage three (Wednesday 6 October). Having welcomed three stage starts in Women’s Tour history, this will also mark the first time the North Warwickshire town will host a finish. The out-and-back route has been carefully designed to measure 16 kilometres / 10 miles, a nod to Britain’s rich history of time trialling over that distance. The anti-clockwise loop passes through Bentley, Birchley Heath, Mancetter before finishing in the heart of Atherstone.
Three days of racing in the east of England to end this year’s race begin with the Shoeburyness to Southend-on-Sea stage (117.5 kilometres) on Thursday 7 October. Inspired by racing on the flatlands of Belgium and the Netherlands, riders will have to be alert to crosswinds and changes in direction as the route heads through Rochford, South Woodham Ferrers, Burnham-on-Crouch (sprint one), Bradwell-on-Sea, Hazeleigh and Rawreth. The day’s sole SKODA Queen of the Mountains climb at Hambro Hill (4.9 kilometres, maximum gradient of 12.8%) near Rayleigh tops out with just 12.7 kilometres remaining and will likely be the instigator for a fast and frantic run-in to the finish line along the seafront in the Westcliff-on-Sea area of Southend.
Stage five starts at Colchester’s Northern Gateway Sports Park, the stunning new leisure facility that is already inspiring local residents to live a more active lifestyle. Riders will complete a lap of the venue’s closed road cycle circuit before heading into Colchester’s historic city centre. Another spectator-friendly stage, the peloton will pass through the finish line on Clacton seafront after just 32 kilometres before completing a 63.5-kilometre loop via Holland-on-Sea, Thorpe-le-Soken and Manningtree. The Women’s Tour’s two previous stage finishes in Clacton both culminated in bunch sprints, won by Marianne Vos (2014) and Jolien D’hoore (2015). At 95.5 kilometres, this is the shortest road stage of the 2021 race.
This year’s Women’s Tour champion will be crowned in Suffolk following a day of racing between Haverhill and Felixstowe (155 kilometres). A characteristic scenic route through the county will take the peloton past the Melford Hall stately home and through Sudbury before passing along the runaway at Wattisham Flying Station. The route also includes Stowmarket, Wickham Market and Woodbridge, all of which have featured in historic Women’s Tour stages in the county, before heading south towards the finish line adjacent to the beach in Felixstowe.
Mick Bennett, Women’s Tour race director, said: “We are all set for what promises to be another memorable edition of the Women’s Tour! From our first-ever individual time trial in Warwickshire, an innovative stage in Walsall, potential for crosswinds en route to the finishes in Southend and Clacton, plus the bonus seconds that line the route from Oxfordshire to Suffolk, there are plenty of opportunities for the race to come alive!”
Further details of the 2021 Women’s Tour – including stage timetables and competing riders – will be announced shortly.
Stages
Stage 1 Bicester to Banbury Monday 4 October
Stage 2 Walsall Tuesday 5 October
Stage 3 Atherstone individual time trial Wednesday 6 October
Stage 4 Shoeburyness to Southend Thursday 7 October
Stage 5 Colchester to Clacton Friday 8 October
Stage 6 Haverhill to Felixstowe Saturday 9 October
Competing teams
— UCI Women’s World Teams: Alé BTC Ljubljana, Canyon SRAM Racing, FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope, Liv Racing, Movistar Team, SD Worx, Team BikeExchange, Team DSM, Trek-Segafredo
— UCI Women’s Continental Teams: AWOL O’Shea, CAMS-Basso Bikes, Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling, Drops-Le Col s/b TEMPUR., Parkhotel Valkenburg, Team TIBCO-Silicon Valley Bank, Valcar-Travel & Service
Cycle Division’s Shop
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Crit Result: Odd Down Winter Series 3
- Crit Result: Velo29 Winter Series 3
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League #4
- Team Feature: Hutchinson/Brother UK
- Events: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (LVVP #13)
- Events: RCR Fatcreations Road Race
- Team News: DAS Handsling Women’s UCI Team
- News: GB for European Track Championships
- Crit Result: Full Gas Winter Series (Hillingdon #6)
- CX Result: NWCCA CX League Round 9
- CX Result: London/SE CX League Rd 10
- CX Result: Wessex CX League Rd 13
- CX Result: Eastern Cyclo-Cross League 11
- CX Result: East Kent CX League 5
- British Track Championships: Day 3 Report
- Track Results: British Track Championhip Results (para)
- Track Results: British Track Championship Results (M)
- Track Result: British Track Championships Results (W)
- British Track Championships: Day 2 Report
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- Team Feature: Sam Watson’s Journey to WorldTour
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds
- Team News: MAS Design – Fensham Howes Junior Team
- 2022/2023 National Trophy Cyclocross Series Final Standings
- EVENTS: The Peaks 2 Day p/b Giant Sheffield
- TEAM NEWS: Kalas Motip Race Team for 2023
- Team News: Rotor UK Sponsor Team AT85
- CX Result: Leicestershire Cyclo-Cross League Rd 7
- CX Result: Wessex CX League, Rd 12
- CX Result: Eastern Region CX League Rd 10
- Q&A: Vicky Smith (Alba Development Road Team)
- Track Result: First Division Manchester Track League
- Track Result: Premier Division Manchester Track League
- Crit Result: LVYCC Winter Races 1
- British Track Championships Jan 26-29
Other News on VeloUK
- Team Feature: Hutchinson/Brother UK
- Events: Spring MK Bowl Circuit Series
- Events: RCR Fatcreations Road Race
- Team News: DAS Handsling Women’s UCI Team
- News: GB for European Track Championships
- Q&A: Sophie Lankford (Alba Team)
- News: Rayner Foundation’s Gateway Project
- News: Star Names Sign up for Saint Piran 05/03 Team
- News: 58th Perfs Pedal RR
- News: GB Team for CX Worlds
- Team News: MAS Design – Fensham Howes Junior Team
- EVENTS: The Peaks 2 Day p/b Giant Sheffield
- TEAM NEWS: Kalas Motip Race Team for 2023
- Team News: Rotor UK Sponsor Team AT85
- Q&A: Vicky Smith (Alba Development Road Team)
- British Track Championships Jan 26-29
- Event News: Midlands handicap league returns in 2023
- News: Alba DRT Riders Inspired to Step Up
- Race Dates: Track Events 2023
- News: Santini Cycling UK
- News: Wightlink-Wight Mountain CRT Report
- Events: Velo Club St Raphael Time Trial
- Startlist: British Cyclocross Championships 2023
- BRITISH CYCLOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023
- News: Brother UK Continues to Sponsor Cycling
- Dave Rayner Fund Supported Riders
- Event news: British Team Cup
- National Trophy: Final Round, Cyclopark
- News: Pedal Club December Lunch Report
- Team News: Velo Bavarian Race Team 2023
- 2023 British teams – Richardson’s Trek
- Team News: 26th Year for Arctic-Aircon RT
- Event News: British Masters RR Champs
- News: West Midlands RR Calendar
- Team News: New cycling team in Central Region
- News: UCI World Masters Track Championships
- 2023: National Under 23, Youth & Junior Road Series
- National Trophy Cyclocross Round 5: Startlist
- News: 2023 British National Road Series
- New Bikes! Ribble’s Reynolds 725 (Gravel bike)