Bicester schoolboy Reuben Cooper, aged 10, has won this year’s AJ Bell Women’s Tour flag design competition.

The prestigious cycle race is taking place between Bicester, Oxford, Abingdon and Banbury tomorrow.

The Glory Farm Primary School pupil’s design was judged the best by Oxfordshire cycling star Katie Scott from Faringdon who will be competing in the race.

Over 100 children contributed artwork but Reuben's design showing stylised cyclists with the winners’ podium and a beautifully decorated flagpole came out top.

Reuben said: “I am really keen on women's sport and I believe that it should be followed and celebrated just like men's sport. I wanted my flag to show this. I think this event will promote sports for younger women and I am excited to cheer on the cyclists as they ride through my town, Bicester.”

Katie added: “I’m really excited to get the chance to race on home roads in front of a local crowd on Monday in Oxfordshire, and I feel that the flag design conveys the excitement of that feeling brilliantly.”

Families and schoolchildren are expected to line the route between Bicester and Banbury to cheer on the competitors, turning the event into an exciting community spectacle and an incentive for residents to exercise, inspired by their favourite cyclists.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cycling Champion, said: “We want this prestigious race to leave a legacy for the county; not only a lasting economic impact, but by motivating people to be more active and improve their health.”

Around 100 pro-cyclists – accompanied by support vehicles – will be on the start line on Bicester’s Sheep Street.

The race will complete a short northern loop, passing secondary school students at The Cooper School, before heading south past Graven Hill to Islip and on to Oxford.

The peloton will then sweep down to The Plain then on to south Oxfordshire via Blackbird Leys. The stage will reach its southernmost point passing the Culham Science Centre before heading north through Abingdon, Eynsham, and past Woodstock.

The riders will pass through north Cherwell taking in Hook Norton, Sibford Ferris and Broughton arriving in Banbury for the first time.

They will then head back out through Bloxham, completing a short loop of parishes before returning to Banbury where they will pass the Cross and the Fine Lady statue on their way to a sprint to the line on South Bar Street.

The Women’s Tour is Britain’s longest-running professional women’s race and part of the prestigious UCI Women’s World Tour series, which attracts the world’s top riders.

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.

Among competitors are Olympians, national medallists and even world champion cyclist, Elisa Balsamo.