Scotland's Katie Archibald relishes role in Women's Tour

Olympic gold cycling medalist Katie Archibald, right, and Abi van Twisk, who rides for Drops Cycling Team, help promote the 2017 Women's Tour at Tower Bridge, London. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

London will host a stage of the Women's Tour for the first time with the 2017 edition scheduled to finish in the capital on 11 June.

The five-day race will conclude with 14 laps of the same six kilometre circuit which has been a regular feature on the men’s Tour of Britain, starting and finishing on Regent Street St James.

Scotland’s Katie Archibald, an Olympic gold medallist in the team pursuit, plans to line up for her WNT team, and said: “The race being hosted by London is a fantastic opportunity for women’s cycling and shows how far the sport has grown over the past couple of years.

“I’m excited but also nervous about the opportunity to ride the Women’s Tour since it’s one of the most competitive stage races on the women’s UCI calendar.”

Former world champion Lizzie Deignan will be expected to defend her title in the race for the Dutch Boels-Dolmans team.

The fourth edition of the Women’s Tour will begin on 7 June with a stage from Daventry to Kettering, before a second stage in Stoke and Staffordshire.

The third stage will send the riders from Atherstone to Royal Leamington Spa, before the penultimate stage which starts and finishes in Chesterfield.

l Olympic champions Laura and Jason Kenny are expecting their first child.