Some of the world’s leading female cyclists will race through Powys this weekend as the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women heads to Mid Wales.
The race, which forms part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, began on Wednesday, August 19, with its penultimate stage taking place on Saturday, August 22.
Stage Four will begin in Llanidloes at 11am before riders tackle a demanding 138.3km route through the Mid Wales countryside.
The stage will finish in Hay-on-Wye at around 2.50pm and includes a series of challenging climbs through areas including the Elan Valley.
With 2,280 metres of ascent, it will be the stage featuring the most climbing in this year’s Tour.
A total of 114 riders representing 19 teams and 24 nations were due to take part in the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women.
Current champion Ally Wollaston, riding for FDJ United-SUEZ, has returned in an attempt to retain her title. The New Zealand rider recently won silver in the team pursuit at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Belgian cyclist and 2024 winner Lotte Kopecky will also compete for SD Worx-Protime alongside Lorena Wiebes, the most successful rider in the history of the race.
Wiebes won two stages of the recent Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift and topped its points classification. The pair will be supported by former European champion Mischa Bredewold, who has secured three major general classification victories in Spain this season.
Kim Le Court Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal Team will also be hoping to make an impact. The Mauritian cyclist won the opening stage of last year’s race and has recorded a Tour de France Femmes stage victory this year.
Australian rider Georgia Baker will return to racing after winning two gold medals, one silver and one bronze at the Commonwealth Games. She also carried her country’s flag at the closing ceremony.
Welsh supporters will have the opportunity to see British national road race champion Zoe Backstedt competing on home soil.
The Canyon // SRAM rider has enjoyed a strong season, including a stage victory at the Tour de Suisse. She will be joined by former national road race champions Millie Couzens, Pfeiffer Georgi and Alice Towers.
Zoe’s sister, Elynor Backstedt, will compete as part of UAE Team L’IMAD alongside Irish champion Lara Gillespie.
Highlights of the women’s race will be broadcast daily on ITV4 and ITVX. A dedicated live stream of the stages will also be available through TNT Sports and the Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube channel.
People can also follow the race through the Lloyds Tour of Britain’s Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X accounts.
