On Friday 9 June, we partnered with Warwickshire County Council to welcome Stage Three of the 2017 Women’s Cycle Tour to our region and on to our campus.

A thrilling race featuring many of the region’s top sportswomen including Kenilworth’s World and European Champion rider Ciara Horne of the Cervelo Bigla team and Warwick graduate Alice Cobb, the Women’s Tour saw teams from around the world compete in a five day competition. The gruelling 151km Warwickshire leg started in Atherstone and finished in the picturesque town of Leamington Spa, home to many of Warwick’s students and staff. The race passed through Warwick’s campus mid-morning, and the atmosphere was vibrant as crowds lined Gibbet Hill Road to cheer the riders on.

The celebrations continued in Leamington Spa after the Stage Three finish, with people of all ages turning out to which was won by Australian rider Chloe Hosking. Professor Chris Ennew, University of Warwick Provost presented the Stage Three Combativity Award to Martina Ritter, who displayed the most aggressive riding during the stage. Following the Warwickshire leg, the race moved on to Chesterfield and Derbyshire before culminating in London on 11 June. The race was won by Polish National Champion Katarzyna Niewiadoma.

At Warwick, we’re committed to increasing participation and providing equal opportunities in sport and physical activity in the West Midlands region and enabling our University community to be physically active on a daily basis. It’s our ambition to become the most active university campus in the UK, and as part of this initiative we’re investing in a new Sports Hub on campus which will be available to staff, students and our local community. Supporting events like the Women’s Tour are a fantastic way to raise awareness of women’s sport and to put our region’s participation and excellence in sport firmly on the map.

Professor Simon Swain, University of Warwick Pro-Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement) said: “We were delighted to welcome the Women’s Tour back to the University of Warwick. Since our inception the University of Warwick has been a positive driver of education, innovation, and cultural development throughout our region, and has shown the strongest commitment to providing equal opportunities for women and men to achieve their goals. This is reflected in our support for women’s sport to enjoy the same profile as men’s and to promoting leading women as role models for our University, our region and beyond.”

For more information on the Women’s Tour, please visit http://www.womenstour.co.uk.