The inaugural Women's Tour in 2014 demonstrated the appetite British fans have for professional bike racing and women’s cycling with a well supported and professionally run event setting a new precedent for creating stage races. A world-class field, live television coverage and equal prize money compared to the men’s Tour of Britain was a coup for the race organisers, SweetSpot, who have attracted Aviva as the naming rights sponsor for 2015.

Emma Johansson goes down in history as the first stage winner of the race last year but three straight stage wins to Marianne Vos sealed overall victory for the then world champion with Lucy Garner and Hannah Barnes the best of the British riders in an absorbing five-days of racing. While Vos will miss the race due to injury, Rabo-Liv teammate and current world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot will lead the team in her absence looking to challenge for overall honours.

British hopes will be pinned on Lizzie Armitstead for stage success with the Boels-Dolmans rider on a hot steak having won the last two races she’s started. Armistead will face competition in the sprints from the likes of Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle Honda) and Hannah Barnes (UnitedHealthcare). Time trial world champion Lisa Brennauer leads the Velocio-SRAM team who are likely to animate the race with a strong selection for the race while Johansson and Orica-AIS will challenge for overall success.

There will be plenty of home support for likes of Laura Trott and Helen Wyman (Matrix Fitness), Dani King (Wiggle Honda), Sarah Storey and Joanna Roswell (Pearl Izumi) and Liv Plantur’s Lucy Garner and Molly Weaver.

The opening two stages of the race are suited to the sprinters with Aldeburgh and Clacton hosting the first two finishes of the race. A hilly stage 3 from Oundle to Kettering is sure to see a shake up on GC with over 1500 meters of climbing awaiting the peloton. Stage 4 is a slightly less lumpy affair from Waltham Cross to Stevenage with the fifth and final stage from Marlow to Hemel Hempstead one final opportunity for riders to make a move up the standings.

The Women's Tour 2014 | Start list