British Cycling Talent to Converge on England and Scotland for UCI World Tour Race

Lizzie Deignan, one of Britain’s most accomplished cyclists, will compete in the upcoming Tour of Britain Women 2025, marking her final appearance in the prestigious event. The 36-year-old, who is retiring at the end of the season, has a storied career, including two wins in the Tour of Britain Women and a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

Deignan will be joined by a talented group of British riders, including Olympic silver medallist Anna Henderson, who will ride alongside her on the Lidl-Trek team. Other notable competitors include Cat Ferguson of Movistar, Imogen Wolff of Visma-Lease a Bike, and sisters Elynor and Zoe Backstedt, who will ride for UAE-Team ADQ and Canyon-Sram Zondacrypto respectively.

The UCI World Tour race will feature a peloton of world-class riders, including Lorena Wiebes of the Netherlands, a peerless sprinter. The four-stage event will take place across England and Scotland, from June 5-8, with stages in Hartlepool, Glasgow, and the Scottish Borders.

Ferguson, 19, has already made a name for herself in the junior UCI Road World Championships, winning the title in Switzerland last year. She also claimed victory in the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic one-day race last week. Wolff, also 19, won stage three and the young rider’s white jersey at the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina in March.

The Tour of Britain Women was rescued by British Cycling last year after being cancelled in 2023 due to funding issues. The event is notable for paying equal prize money relative to the number of stages as the men’s event, a rarity in women’s cycling. In contrast, the Tour de France Femmes pays its winner 10% of the men’s winner’s prize, a paltry 50,000 Euros.

The Lloyds Women’s Tour of Britain, as the event is officially known, has a rich history, dating back to 2013. The inaugural event was won by Emma Pooley, who dominated the competition, taking the overall title by over 2 minutes. Since then, the event has become a staple of the women’s cycling calendar, attracting top talent from around the world.

Over the years, the Tour of Britain Women has seen many notable winners, including Lizzie Deignan, who won the event in 2016 and 2019. The event has also been the stage for several high-profile victories, including the 2019 stage win by Marianne Vos, who went on to take the overall title.

The 2025 edition of the Tour of Britain Women promises to be an exciting one, with Deignan’s final appearance in the event sure to draw attention. The competition will be fierce, with a talented field of riders vying for the top spot on the podium.