THE final lap of a prestigious cycling race is to take place in Oxfordshire this weekend.
More than 100 riders in the Women’s Tour will start the final and sixth stage of the race in Chipping Norton’s High Street at 11am on Saturday, before a 90-mile route finishes at St Giles’ in Oxford at about 3pm.
Stage six will take in Milcombe, south west of Banbury, before travelling through West Oxfordshire, Wantage, Abingdon, Didcot and Wallingford.
Riders will cross the River Thames using the Folly Bridge as the race enters Oxford from the south.
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What roads will be closed and when?
4am-2.30pm: Chipping Norton: Cattle Market, A44 High Street, A44 Horsefair, Market Street, Middle Row. All parking and loading bays suspended either side of High Street from 6pm on Friday.
Over Norton: Over Norton Road B4026 Main Street, B4026 Radbone Hill, B4026 to junction with A3400, A3400 junction with B4026 to High Street
*11.18am: Great Rollright: High Street, Hook Norton Road
*11.25am: Hook Norton: Chipping Norton Road, Netting Street, High Street, Chapel Street, East End, Station Road.
Wigginton: Hook Norton Road
Milcombe: Station Road, Main Road, New Road, A361 junction with New Road to B4022 (southwest via A361 South Newington Road & Banbury Road)
Great Tew: B4022 Banbury Road, B4022 Butchers Hill
*11.55am: Enstone: B4022 Banbury Road, B4022 Tew Road, across A44 junction with B4022 to B4022 Charlbury Road
*12:03pm: Charlbury: B4022 Banbury Hill, B4022 Enstone Road, B4437 Nine Acres Lane, B4437 Thames Street, B4437 Dyers Hill, B4437 Forest Road to B4437 junction with A361
*12.26pm: Burford: A361 Shipton Road, from junction of B4437 to A361 Burford Road, A361 Fulbrook Hill, A361 Lower High Street, A361 High Street, A361 The Hill, A40 from A361 The Hill to Junction with B4020 Shilton Road
Shilton: B4020 Shilton Road
*12.34pm: Carterton: Burford Road, Alvescot Road, B4477 Alvescot Road, to the junction of B4020 Main Road
Alvescot: B4020 Main Road, B4020 Station Road
*12.47pm: Clanfield: B4020 Black Bourton Road, A4095 Main Street
*12.58pm: Faringdon: A4095 Radcot Road, A4095 Church Street form junction with Radcot Road to junction with Market Place, A4095 Market Place, Marlborough Street, B4019 Coxwell Street, B4019 Coxwell Road to junction with A420 Faringdon Road to A420 Faringdon Road junction with Fernham Road to junction with B4508 High Street
Rolling through the English countryside 🌳#WomensTour #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/yrAhSfRNqs
— The Women's Tour (@thewomenstour) June 6, 2022
*1.06pm: Fernham: B4508 High Street, B4508 Hobbs Hill, Fernham Road, junction of Broad Street to junction of Woolstone Road
Uffington: Woolstone Road, Shotover Corner, Broad Way to B4507 junction B4507 to B4507 Ickleton Road.
*1.30pm: Wantage: B4507 Ickleton Road, B4507 Portway, Newbury Street, Market Place, A417 Wallingford Street, A417 Charlton Road, A417 Reading Road
Rowstock: A417 Portway, A417 Reading Road
Harwell: Wantage Road, High Street, Burr Street, B4493 Didcot Road
*1.50pm: Didcot: B4493 Didcot Road, B4493 Wantage Road, B4016 Broadway, A4130 Hadden Hill
*2.10pm: Wallingford: A4130 Wantage Road, Station Road, High Street, The Street, A4074 Henley Road, A4074 Oxford Road to A415 Abingdon Road junction
*2.38pm: Abingdon: A415 Abingdon Road, A415 The Causeway, A415 Abingdon Road, A415 Culham Road, A415 Bridge Street, High Street, Ock Street Stratton Way, Stratton Way, Vineyard, Radley Road
Radley: Foxborough Road, Church Road, Kennington Road
*2.50pm: Kennington: The Avenue, Kennington Road
Oxford: Old Abingdon Road, A4144 Abingdon Road, A420 Thames Street/Oxpens Road/Holybush Row, Frideswide Square, Hythe Bridge Street, Worcester Street, Beaumont Street, St Giles’
Oxford city static closures: 4.45am - 7pm: Beaumont Street, St Giles’ (to Little Clarendon Street) and Banbury Road to junction with Parks Road. All parking and loading bays in Beaumont Street and St Giles’ will be suspended from 6pm on Friday.
*denotes predicted race timings
What have councillors said?
Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The Women’s Tour is a fantastic way to showcase our wonderful county to the world.
“I’m confident this event will support and raise awareness of cycling and its benefits, as well as bring an economic boost to our communities – so important as businesses recover from the pandemic.
“Hosting this prestigious race for a third time is a great collaborative effort between the county council and our local authority colleagues.”
Andy Graham, leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, added: “It’s fantastic to have such a prestigious race taking place in our district and it’s a great honour for Chipping Norton to be hosting the start of the race.
“We hope the Women’s Tour will leave a positive legacy with more people getting into cycling and making the most of our beautiful countryside in West Oxfordshire.”
South Oxfordshire District Council’s cycling champion, Sam Casey-Rerhaye, said: “Coming just days after the jubilee celebrations, the Women’s Tour will be another wonderful event for our communities to enjoy.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing people join with friends and family to line the streets to mark the occasion and cheer the riders on.
“I hope the event brings more visitors to the area on Saturday and that they make the most of our wonderful pubs, cafes and shops.
“If you are coming along to watch the race, make sure you check the times carefully as the cyclists go through each area very quickly, so we wouldn’t want anyone to miss out.”
Read more from this author
This story was written by Liam Rice, he joined the team in 2019 as a multimedia reporter.
Liam covers politics, travel and transport. He occasionally covers Oxford United.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Liam.rice@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailLiamRice
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