After declining to participate in last year's inaugural Women's Tour de Yorkshire, describing it as "a token event", world champion Lizzie Armitstead was fulsome in her praise of the race's second edition. Set to take place on April 30, the race will feature a very impressive prize fund of £50,000 and follow the same route as the second stage of the men's Tour de Yorkshire that same day.
Confirming her participation as a press conference in York, Armitstead said, "I'd like to support the fact that there is a proper stage this year."
Critical of last year's women's race in Yorkshire that wasn't UCI-registered and took place on a short circuit in York, Armitstead said the newly registered 1.2-category race that extends to 135 kilometres between Otley and Doncaster is a clear sign event organisers ASO are moving the event in the right direction.
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"I think it's good that if you put on a race you do it properly, that it's not just a token event. If I'm totally honest I think that's what last year's race was, just a token event. It's good to see that this year they're doing it properly, putting equal prize money out there, inviting all the best teams and getting UCI status. If you're going to do the job, do it properly and that's what they're doing this year," she stressed.
The race will start in the world champion’s home town of Otley, leading her to joke that, "They didn't give me much chance not to turn up, did they?" The Yorkshirewoman added: "It's pretty crazy really. I didn't realise until I saw leaflets in my mum's kitchen last night talking about big screens in Otley and heard that my sister has got friends booking out rooms in her house that it's gonna be quite a big deal. I'm lucky that it's starting in Otley and they've got a proper women's race this year. It's worth me coming back for."
However, Armitstead tempered her praise with a call for the event's boost in status to continue. "Obviously I think the way forward is for it to go to three days and hopefully that will happen in the future," she said.
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