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Get inspired when The Women’s Tour visits the Vale on 4 October

Communities across the Vale of White Horse are being encouraged to line the streets on Monday 4 October, to show off the area and to get inspired when the AJ Bell Women’s Tour cycling race passes through the district.

People will have the opportunity to see more than 100 elite professional riders, including Olympic time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten, as the race travels through Abingdon, Wootton, Cumnor and Farmoor.  The Tour is expected to enter the district via Abingdon Bridge shortly after midday.

The event will be seen by a national television audience on ITV 4, so it’s a great chance to show the area off to the wider public.  As well as lining the route to cheer the competitors, residents, schools, businesses and communities can make the most of the event in a variety of ways, such as: 

  • putting bunting, flags, or cycling-inspired artwork along the route
  • creating cycling-themed window displays or artwork
  • having a cycling-themed menu for the day
  • having a cycling themed day, including competitions.

Cllr Helen Pighills, Cabinet Member for Healthy Communities at Vale of White Horse District Council, said: “I’m really looking forward to the Women’s Tour and seeing elite professional riders race through our district again.  It promises to be a great event, and I know it will inspire many people, young women in particular, to take up the sport. 

“One of our main priorities as a council is to build healthy communities. Supporting events such as the Women’s Tour is a great way to inspire and encourage people to become more active.  Our Active Communities team also provide a great range of activities to help our residents lead healthier and more active lives.

“The Women’s Tour will also be a great chance for us to show the district off to a national audience and I’m sure communities on the route will make the most of the event.  I really urge our residents, community groups and businesses on the route to see what they can come up with to make the day extra special, both for their community and for the riders.”

If you are planning to watch the race, or you work on or near to the route please ensure you check the full details well in advance.  There will be rolling road closures and parking restrictions in place and we don’t want anyone to miss the action or to get caught in delays.  All rolling road closures for the race will be managed by the race organisers Sweetspot and their police outriders.

If you are watching the race in Abingdon, the best place to view proceedings will be on Wootton Road, as there will be reduced space in the town centre as the Michaelmass Fair will be in place.

For more information, including the full route, estimated route times and more details about the road closures, please visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/womenstour

More information about the AJ Bell Women’s Tour

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 World Tour.

In addition to its wider aims of promoting active and healthy lifestyles to women, the event has championed equality in sport, notably offering the same prize fund pro rata as the men’s Tour of Britain.

The race, which has been won by the likes of Marianne Vos (2014), Lizzie Deignan (2016 and 2019) and Coryn Rivera (2018), attracts an annual roadside audience of 300,000, as well as over three million fans through linear and online platforms.

For more information about this event visit the Women’s Tour website.