Where to watch the Women's Tour race when it arrives in Suffolk this summer
The Women's Tour is returning to Suffolk this summer - Credit: Archant
The world's top female cyclists will see Suffolk landmarks such as the River Stour and Orwell Bridge when the Women's Tour race arrives in the county this summer.
Organisers of the Women's Tour have confirmed the 142km-long first stage of the 2022 event, which will be held on June 6, will take.
The race will start at Colchester Sports Park at Northern Gateway and see a number of landmarks in the town before crossing the border into Suffolk over the Stour.
Cyclists will see the Orwell Bridge near Ipswich on the route - Credit: Charlotte Bond
Riders will travel under the Orwell Bridge outside of Ipswich before heading into Bildeston, in the Babergh district.
The cyclists will twice visit Bildeston as part of an anti-clockwise loop before heading into Stowmarket in mid Suffolk, where a stage of the 2019 race finished.
The finish line on Angel Hill in Bury St Edmunds will be approached from the south via Lavenham.
This will mark the cathedral town’s third appearance in race history, although it will be the first finish there since Marianne Vos won the finale of the 2014 edition.
The Women’s Tour will conclude in Oxfordshire on June 11with a stage between picturesque Chipping Norton, in the Cotswolds, and the heart of historic Oxford.
The 2021 race ended with a sprint finish on Felixstowe seafront, with the overall event won by Demi Vollering.
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Due to the Covid pandemic, last year's race was delayed to the autumn as restrictions on social gatherings were still in place.
Large crowds attend the finish line in Southwold for the Women's Tour in 2018 - Credit: Archant
The Women's Tour has seen more than hundreds of thousands of people watch the races from Suffolk roadsides, helping to generate millions for the local economy.
Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for public health and public protection, said: "I’m delighted that we can reveal the route the Women’s Tour will be taking through Essex and Suffolk this year.
"The race always provides a great opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate all that our county has to offer, while inspiring people to become more physically active."
