AJ Bell Women's Tour cycle race coming to Banbury reveals provisional list of riders
The reigning road and time trial world champions – Elisa Balsamo (Valcar – Travel & Service) and Ellen van Dijk (Trek – Segafredo) respectively - will both compete in the six-day event, marking the first time this has happened since 2016.
Three of Balsamo’s predecessors as world champion are also set to be on the start line in Oxfordshire: Italian rider Marta Bastianelli (Alé BTC Ljubljana), Dutchwoman Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SD Worx) and home favourite Lizzie Deignan.
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Hide AdDeignan (Trek Segafredo) is the race’s defending champion from 2019; she is also the only rider in AJ Bell Women’s Tour history to win the event twice. Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon SRAM Racing) and Amy Pieters (SD Worx), who completed the final podium two years ago, will also be in action.
The provisional start list also features Tokyo 2020 medalists Elisa Longo Borghini (Trek – Segafredo), Marlen Reusser (Alé BTC Ljubljana) and Megan Jastrab (Team DSM) and former stage winners Hannah Barnes (Canyon SRAM Racing), Christine Majerus (SD Worx) and Sarah Roy (Team BikeExchange).
Three British teams will be in action at the race. Drops – Le Col s/b TEMPUR. will compete in their fifth edition of the race; their line-up features Joss Lowden, who is set to tackle the UCI Hour Record on Thursday (September 30). This year’s Tour Series winners CAMS – Basso Bikes and AWOL O’Shea will make their debuts in the event, with the former led by Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Hayley Simmonds, who will be targeting the race’s first ever individual time trial, which takes place in Warwickshire on Wednesday (October 6).
The Banbury Guardian published a story reminding residents about local road and school closures next during the race.