The Tour of Britain Women, the biggest women’s road cycling race in the UK, just barreled onto Welsh roads for two days of absolute madness. This whole thing, with five stages for the first time ever, is kicking into high gear right now. And trust me, the Welsh stages are gonna be brutal.
Welsh Roads Are NO JOKE
Forget gentle hills, these riders are about to face some serious punishment. Stage three is a monster, 104.7km from Mold straight to the iconic Great Orme in Llandudno. Mold’s never hosted a stage start before, so you know the energy there is gonna be wild. But that’s just the warm-up, because Saturday’s stage four? Woah. That’s 138.3km from Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye, featuring the race’s toughest climbs and a mind-boggling 2,280m total ascent. Seriously, 2,280 meters! Powys, where Llanidloes is, has been a regular host since 2010, so they know what’s coming. This is where champions are made, or absolutely broken.
Homegrown Talent Stealing the Show
But let’s talk about the real reason Welsh fans are hyped: their own riders are in this thing, battling it out with the world’s best, like 2024 champ and two-time world champion, Lotte Kopecky. And Anna Morris? She’s absolutely stunning everyone. Despite crashing on stage two, she’s sitting at an incredible 10th place, only 20 seconds behind race leader Lorena Wiebes. Twenty seconds! After a crash! This is her first time racing on home soil since she absolutely crushed it at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, snagging two golds and a bronze on the track. What a beast! Then there’s Zoe Backstedt, the British champion. She’s 51st right now, 2 minutes 48 seconds back from Wiebes, but this 21-year-old just made her Tour de France Femmes debut a few weeks ago, finishing 50th overall. She’s had a killer season already, winning British road race and time trial titles, plus a sprint stage at the Tour de Suisse Femmes and retaining her 2026 Baloise Ladies Tour title. Oh, and get this: her older sister, Elynor, is also racing, and their dad Magnus is even a sport director. Talk about a family affair! Lucy Lee rounds out the Welsh contingent, especially after Jess Roberts had to pull out following a stage one crash. Brutal.
So what’s next? These riders still have that brutal Stage 4 from Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye ahead of them. That climb-heavy route is going to test every single one of them, and for Morris and Backstedt, it’s a massive chance to make moves on their home turf. You just know the Welsh crowds are going to be roaring them on. This isn’t just a race, it’s a battle, and these Welsh riders are fighting for every second. Get ready for an insane Saturday!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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