Essex expected to boost profile of the Women's Tour
The north of the county will host the penultimate stage of the event
Last updated 11th Mar 2021
It's hoped Essex's role in the Women's Tour will help "supercharge" the profile of the race.
The fifth stage of the event will see the world's top cyclists race from Colchester to Clacton.
While there is yet to be confirmation on the date, the race is expected to take place between 4 and 9 October.
This year will be the first time the Women's Tour will be broadcast live on television thanks to a partnership with organisers Sweetspot Group and Eurosport x GCN announced last month.
Partnerships Director for Sweetspot Group, Jonathan Durling, thinks it'll lead to more people travelling to watch the race.
He said: "That's what we saw with the Tour of Britain, when we went live with that it just supercharged the atmosphere. Suddenly the crowds were going 'we've seen it on TV' and now want to go and experience it."
As well as boosting the profile of the Women's Tour, being broadcast live on TV is expected to work in the benefit of host locations.
Jonathan added: "It won't just be in the UK, it'll be broadcast all over the world to show the race. It's moving the Women's Tour from strength to strength but is also an amazing opportunity for local authorities and local businesses to use it as a platform."
The first stage of the race will begin in Oxfordshire at Bicester, with the fifth taking place between Colchester and Clacton, and the final from Haverhill to Felixstowe.
An announcement of the remaining stages is expected in "due course".