Budget supermarket sponsors Women's Tour
THE stage of a prestigious cycling tour that will come through Warwickshire next month will be sponsored by county-based budget supermarket Aldi.
The company's headquarters is in Atherstone where stage two of the Aviva Women’s Tour 2016 will begin on Thursday 16th June.
More details of the stage's route through have also be revealed, including the location of the stage's finish line, which will be in Bridge Street, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Some of the world’s leading female cyclists will go head-to-head on a challenging 140km ride from the north to the very south of the county.
It will start in Atherstone in North Warwickshire at around 9.45am, reaching the University of Warwick campus, before heading on to Gibbet Hill Road and then Warwick Road.
The elite cyclists will then make their way through Kenilworth down the A452, past the historic remains of Kenilworth Castle, before facing their first Chain Reaction cycle sprint of the race through the town’s High Street.
From there, the Tour peloton will head on through Leek Wootton, reaching Warwick, where the pro-riders will cycle through Woodloes before heading up the A425 and traversing the town’s Market Square, where there will be a special market event and entertainment for spectators.
The competitors will head onwards to cycle up Warwick’s High Street and Jury Street before passing over the River Avon, with the iconic view of Warwick Castle behind them, then head out of town and onto Gallows Hill, past Warwick Technology Park.
From there, the Tour will head south to climb to the highest points in Warwickshire, through Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, Edge Hill and Ilmington.
The race will finish in spectacular style in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Tour is expected to bring an economic boost to the county as a whole as thousands of spectators and tourists come to watch the event.
Leader of Warwickshire County Council, Cllr Izzi Seccombe, said: “I’m delighted that we have Aldi as official sponsor of the Aviva Women’s Tour in Warwickshire.
“They are one of our major employers and, given their strong links with Atherstone, where this internationally significant sporting event will begin, and with Warwickshire as a whole, they are perfect partners in helping us to boost awareness of the Tour and the lasting legacy that it will bring to our beautiful County.”
Jonathan Neale, Joint Managing Director of Corporate Buying at Aldi, which employs 500 people at its UK headquarters in Atherstone, North Warwickshire, said: “We are thrilled to sponsor stage two of the Aviva Women’s Tour.
"We look forward to working closely with Warwickshire County Council and inviting some of the world’s finest athletes to Warwickshire, the home of our UK head office.
“2016 is set to be a fantastic summer for us, with the Aviva Women’s Race and our sponsorship of Team GB on their Road to Rio. We wish the best of luck to all the participants in the race and welcome those cycling fans who may be visiting Warwickshire for the first time.”
To view the detailed stage route in full and for a list of estimated times that the Tour is expected to pass through Warwickshire locations on Thursday, 16th June, CLICK HERE
