US National road champion Ruth Winder, Lotta Henttala, and Tayler Wiles will represent Trek-Segafredo in the three-stage virtual Women’s Tour, which will take place between 17th and 19th of June.
The e-race named ŠKODA V-SERIES Women’s Tour will take place on the RGT Cycling virtual platform and will be broadcast live on a variety of platforms, including the Women’s Tour website and YouTube channel.
Named the V-SERIES as a nod to the virtual racing scene, the race will include two classic stages from the past six editions of the Women’s Tour, with riders first facing the final 38.4 kilometers of the 2014 stage to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, Britain.
The second stage will replicate the finishing circuit from 2019’s hilltop finish at Burton Dassett, with three ascents of the 1.7-kilometer climb that averages 4.9% during the 35.7-kilometer leg.
The third and final stage will take place on a one-kilometer circuit set in the world-famous business district of Canary Wharf, London, with the riders completing 35-laps before a fast-paced finale.
Lotta Henttala, who has two stage wins to her name in past editions of the Women’s Tour, will make her virtual racing debut.
“I haven’t been spending too much time on the indoor trainer, and obviously, I haven’t been racing at all, so it’s going to be a whole new experience for me. I’m excited but also a bit terrified. I’ll try and do some races on the trainer before the competition to get ready. I’m curious to know how the race tactics will play out in the virtual world, but I’m confident that Ina (Teutenberg) and Giorgia (Bronzini) will be right there to tell us what to do,” said the seven-time Finnish National road champion.
“I’m sad that many races on the Women’s calendar have been canceled for 2020, especially this one. I have really nice memories from the Women’s Tour of Britain, where I won a couple of stages. The race atmosphere is always nice with amazing crowds, so it’s sad not to participate in it this year. But at least we have this opportunity to race this event in the virtual world! I’m excited to see how it goes,” concluded Henttala.
After steering Trek-Segafredo to victory in the Pink Race at Giro Virtual a few weeks ago, DS Ina Teutenberg is looking forward to the challenge of another virtual race for her riders.
“Having the opportunity to participate in the Virtual Women’s Tour of Britain will be a nice change to the monotony the riders are experiencing at home these days with no racing in the immediate future. The stages have something for everybody, and we tried to assemble a team that can compete well in all of them. We’re still in the early stages of the preparation for the re-start of the season, but this event will give the riders some welcomed motivation. We want to be competitive in every single stage,” said Teutenberg.
Fans will also have the chance to ride the three routes with a suggested donation of £5 to raise money for Breast Cancer Now and Mind.
The 2020 Women’s Tour was initially set to take place from 8th to 13th of June but canceled in March. The next edition of the race will take place in June 2021 with the final confirmation of the dates due in the coming months.