Elite cyclists will be peddling past the doorsteps of South Oxfordshire residents as the AJ Bell Women’s Tour cycling returns.

On October 4, more than 100 professional riders, including Olympic time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten, will travel through Woodeaton, the Baldons, Clifton Hampden and by Culham Science Centre, with the race expected to enter the district from 11.30am.

It will also go through Oxford in New Marston, Marston and St Clements to The Plain, then all the way up the Cowley Road before heading out of the city towards Garsington.

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

The event will also be seen by a national television audience on ITV 4 and residents are being encouraged to use the opportunity to show off the area.

As well as lining the route to cheer the competitors, residents, businesses, schools, and communities are being encouraged to make the most of the event in a variety of ways.

Ideas include putting bunting, flags, or cycling-inspired artwork along the route; creating a cycling-themed window display or artwork or having a cycling-themed menu for the day.

Councillor Maggie Filipova-Rivers, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: “The Women’s Tour is a great event. I’m delighted that it’s returning to South Oxfordshire and I’m sure people will line the streets again, just as they did in 2019.”

Councillor Filipova-Rivers believes that The Women's Tour will inspire people to become more active.

She said: “As a council we prioritise community wellbeing and it’s very important that we play our part by helping and encouraging people to become more active by supporting events such as The Women’s Tour, which will inspire lots of people to take up cycling, both as a sport and, more simply, as a way of getting around without the need to use a car.

“We also help residents with their physical health and wellbeing through our Active Communities work and do what we can to support important infrastructure projects that help people to get more active, such as the ongoing improvements to the Science Vale Cycling Network, which is providing greater access to cycling and connectivity for thousands of people in the local area”

Rolling road closures will be in place during the event, lasting for a few minutes before the race enter each area until all the riders have passed. There will also be no parking on the route on race day until after all riders have passed.

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