Cycling spotlight shines on Chipping Norton and West Oxfordshire
Residents of Chipping Norton will be centre stage at the start of Stage 6 of the Women’s Tour of Britain, as the highest town in the county hosts the start of the last day of the race on Saturday June 11th. The full route details were revealed today.
Starting at Chipping Norton and travelling south through West Oxfordshire, competitors will travel through Charlbury, Burford and Carterton before culminating in the heart of Oxford City.
Chief Executive for West Oxfordshire District Council, Giles Hughes, said, “What a great day this promises to be for communities in West Oxfordshire. We are delighted that Chipping Norton has been chosen as the start for Stage 6.
“Hosting the start of the race gives our residents the opportunity to soak up the excitement and spot some of the world’s most decorated and accomplished women cyclists right on their doorstep.
“The race brings with it benefits for our residents and local businesses, and will bring a welcome boost to the West Oxfordshire economy. We also hope the race will inspire people to get on their bikes and enjoy the health benefits that come with cycling.”
The 145-kilometre (90-mile) route will again be a picture postcard for one of Britain’s most loved areas. It will head as far north as Milcombe – a short distance from Banbury where Italian rider Marta Bastianelli triumphed in the 2021 race – before changing course and travelling south through West Oxfordshire towards RAF Brize Norton in Carterton.
Stage six will also feature Faringdon – which memorably turned pink when the race visited in 2019 – and Didcot in the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire districts respectively.
Riders will cross the River Thames via the Folly Bridge as the race enters Oxford from its south side. In what promises to be a truly stunning end to the 2022 race, the stage will finish on the historic St Giles’.
Oxfordshire is expecting economic and health benefits from hosting the prestigious event, with cycling fans expected to visit the county to watch the race, generating additional business for restaurants, bars, hotels, B&Bs and shops.
Over 100 professional riders will weave their way through towns, villages and rural areas, inspiring local schools to organise themed sport and fitness lessons.
Families are expected to line the route to cheer on competitors, turning the event into an exciting community spectacle. Spectators will be encouraged to use healthy and environmentally friendly transport to reach vantage points to watch the race.
Contact Information
West Oxfordshire District Council Communications Team
Notes to editors
Highlights of this year’s race will once again be shown on ITV4 in the UK, and around the world via Eurosport and GCN. Women’s Tour organisers SweetSpot continue to work on securing the funding required to broadcast the event live. Visit sweetspotgroup.co.uk/partnerships for more information.
About the Women’s Tour
Stages:
- Stage one Colchester to Bury St Edmunds Monday 6 June
- Stage two [to be announced] Tuesday 7 June
- Stage three Tewkesbury to Gloucester Wednesday 8 June
- Stage four [to be announced] Thursday 9 June
- Stage five Pembrey Country Park to Black Mountain Friday 10 June
- Stage six Chipping Norton to Oxford Saturday 11 June
Created by SweetSpot Group in 2014, the Women’s Tour is the UK’s first international stage race for women, bringing the world’s top riders to compete in Great Britain as a part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour.
The race, which has been won by the likes of Marianne Vos (2014), Lizzie Deignan (2016, 2019) and Demi Vollering (2021), attracts an annual roadside audience of 300,000, as well as over three million fans through linear and online platforms.
Follow the Women’s Tour on Twitter (#WomensTour), Facebook, and Instagram or via the event’s official website at womenstour.co.uk.
For further media information please contact Peter Hodges (07970 526 519 / [email protected]) and Nick Bull (07977 151 184 / [email protected]).