Hertfordshire and Essex will both host stages of The Women's Tour in 2014, the new elite cycle race, which will be a highlight of the global women's cycling calendar.
Stage Three on Friday 9th May will take place in Essex, based around Clacton-on-Sea in the Tendring District of the county.
Hertfordshire hosts Stage Four a day later on Saturday 10th May, starting in Cheshunt, hometown of double Olympic Champion Laura Trott, and finishing in Welwyn Garden City, where Trott began her cycling career.
Commenting on the news, Laura Trott of the Wiggle Honda team said;
"Having a UCI Women's Tour in the UK is brilliant, but to have a stage starting in my home town of Cheshunt and then finishing in Welwyn Garden City where I started racing makes it even better. I think this will be a very special day for me, I just hope the other girls let me win!”
Leader of Broxbourne Council, based in Cheshunt, Paul Mason says "We're excited for The Women's Tour to be passing through the Borough. I hope people will come out to support the cyclists and that the event will inspire our local residents to get out and about on their bikes.”
Cllr John Dean, Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: "This is a great opportunity for the area. It would be especially fitting for a stage to end in Welwyn Garden City where Laura Trott and many other talented cyclists began their racing careers.”
Peter Halliday, Leader of Tendring District Council, said he is delighted by the announcement that Tendring will be hosting The Women's Tour.
"We have been in talks with the organisers for some time now and we were hoping that we would see the Tour come to our District – and now those talks have paid dividends in a huge way,” he said.
"We are honoured to be involved and look forward to welcoming all the competitors and spectators who will descend on Tendring. It will be fantastic for our residents to see the Tour up close and a major boost for the District and its economy.”
Commenting on the announcement, Guy Elliott, of organisers SweetSpot Group, said, "We are very pleased to be able to announce the locations for Stages Three and Four of The Women's Tour and are delighted by the support we have received from stakeholders in both Essex and Hertfordshire.
"We are now working hard to secure the commercial sponsorship required for the event, which will be a fantastic marketing opportunity for brands who want to associate themselves with world-class athletes and our Olympic heroines.”
The Women's Tour will take place over five stages between Wednesday 7th and Sunday 11th May, with the Grand Depart at Oundle in Northamptonshire. Northampton, Hinckley and Bedford will all host the race over the opening two days, before the stages reach Essex and Hertfordshire.
Further information on the final stage and details of the routes for each leg will be announced in due course.
The Women's Tour
Created by SweetSpot Group, The Women's Tour will bring world-class women's cycling to the UK in the country's first ever international stage-race, bringing the world's top riders to compete against Britain's Olympic heroines.
SweetSpot are an event organiser and sports marketing company behind the organisation of The Tour of Britain, the UK's biggest professional cycle race and the country's largest free-to-watch sporting event, and the creation of the unique Tour Series
The Women's Tour will run from Wednesday 7th to Sunday 11th May 2014.