The world's top women cyclists whizzed through Oldham this afternoon in the final leg of Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain.

Named the first European Capital of Cycling for 2024, Greater Manchester welcomed some of the biggest names in the sport to the streets today (Sunday, June 9) as they raced from Manchester to Leigh in an unforgettable moment in history.

After kicking off the event on Thursday (June 6) from Welshpool to Llandudno, then Wrexham on Friday (June 7) and Warrington on Saturday (June 8), cyclists took on Greater Manchester's challenging terrain as part of the fourth and final stage of the tournament, covering more than 99km and 1,615m of elevation in this last leg.

Get the latest news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up to The Oldham Times’ morning and evening newsletters as well as our breaking news alerts 

Starting from the Ashton Canal, the convoy raced through Oldham where spectators cheered from the sides along Ashton Road.

After weaving from Oldham Way to Lees Road and up to Lydgate, the cyclists were met with their first Queen of the Mountains segment of the day, - from Delph to Grains Bar, a 2.72km run with a 5.5 per cent average gradient.

 

 

Dozens of Delph villagers gathered at Grains Road to cheer on the teams and witnessed the first cyclist, American Kristabel Doebel-Hickok, riding with Human Powered Health, race through with an impressive 18-second lead ahead of the chasing peloton. 

The route then took the teams through Shaw and Rochdale which involved a fast descent through Edenfield followed by the the formidable Ramsbottom Rake.

 

 

The Rake is just 0.97km in length but averages at a 9.9 per cent gradient.

This is where the final Queen of the Mountains points of the competition was collected. 

The peloton then passed through Wayoh and Entwistle Reservoirs in Edgworth, through Horwich and the final sprint into Leigh.

In a nail-biting finish, it was Australian Ruby Roseman-Gannon, riding for Liv AlUla Jayco, who was crowned the winner of the race.

If you have a story, I cover all things Oldham from food reviews and local business news to music and events, pubs, education, crime, property, health, community concerns and much more. Please email me at Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge with your news.