Women's Tour: Live coverage in Suffolk and Norfolk

Summary

Christine Majerus wins stage one of the Women's Tour
Ninety one riders left Southwold at 10:00
Organisers hail "phenomenal" support

Live Reporting

Boat and balloons as school welcomes riders to Southwoldpublished at 09:36 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
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Slovenian team make their Women's Tour debutpublished at 09:36 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport
I'm in Southwold, where the signing in-process is under way.
This is the Slovenian team Btc City Ljubljana, who are making their debut in the event:
Look East cameraman grabs photo with World Champion Armitsteadpublished at 09:33 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
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How the Women's Tour will affect roads in the areapublished at 09:27 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Motorists are being warned of slight delays on local roads today, as the Women's Tour moves between Southwold and Norwich.
A rolling road closure will be in place, with police motorcycles stopping traffic joining roads on the route as the race passes through.
For further details:
- In Suffolk, check out the Waveney council website, external
- In Norfolk, go to the Norwich City council website, external
The signing-in process has begunpublished at 09:14 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
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Tour route timings - and the end is in sightpublished at 09:13 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
By now the peloton is likely to have stretched out a bit - the competitors will have been on the road for around three hours, and they'll have Norwich in their sights. But before then, there's still some way to go:
- 13:21 Tacolneston
- 13:26 Fundenhall
- 13:28 Wreningham
- 13:33 Bracon Ash
- 13:35 Mulbarton
- 13:53 St Peter's Street, Norwich
Don't forget these timings are only a guide, if you want to watch the race as it goes by, then allow yourself plenty of time.
Image source, SweetSpot
Tour route timings - and the riders are half-way therepublished at 09:12 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Across the border they go...
- 12:03 Flixton
- 12:06 Homersfield
- 12:15 Harleston
- 12:21 Starston
- 12:24 Pulham St Mary
- 12:28 Pulham Market
- 12:53 Buckenham
- 12:59 Attleborough
Image source, SweetSpot
Tour route timings: Hour twopublished at 09:11 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
The second hour should include:
- 11:04 Mutford
- 11:18 London Road South Lowestoft
- 11:29 Barnby
- 11:34 North Cove
- 11:36 Worlingham
- 11:40 Beccles
- 11:44 Barsham
- 11:51 Mettingham
- 11:55 Bungay
Image source, SweetSpot
Further details of the tour route: Hour onepublished at 09:10 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
We've shown you a map of the route the competitors in the Tour, external will be taking today, but of course if you're hoping to catch sight of the peloton as it whizzes past, then you'll want to know approximate timings. Don't forget that these are subject to change, depending on how the race goes.
The race starts in Southwold at 10:00, and we'll list estimated times of arrival on an hourly basis until about 13:50, when cyclists arrive at the Forum in Norwich.
- 10:17 Blythburgh
- 10:32 Halesworth
- 10:37 Holton
- 10:41 Sotherton
- 10:48 Brampton
- 10:52 Shadingfield
- 10:55 Sotterley
Image source, SweetSpot
Norfolk cyclists heading to Southwoldpublished at 09:03 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
They were hoping to be in Southwold in time for the start.
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Meanwhile, in Norwich: Preparations under way at Tour finish linepublished at 09:00 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
With an hour to go until the start of the race, preparations are well under way in Norwich, where today's leg of the Women's Tour, external is due to end.
Riders are expected to finish the race outside City Hall at around 13:50.
BBC Weather says it might be a wet affair!
Lizzie Armitstead hoping for better fortunes this yearpublished at 08:51 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
World Champion Lizzie Armitstead will be hoping not to have a repeat of last year's event, when she crashed seconds after she'd won the first stage in Aldeburgh.
She collided with a group of photographers and race director Mick Bennett.
"I remember winning with the help of my team-mates and then not much else", she said., external "Nothing broken just very sore."
Entente cordiale alive and well among competing teamspublished at 08:37 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Out of the 16 teams taking part in this year's Women's Tour, 12 are comprised of riders of more than one nationality.
Drops Cycling Team and British National Team only feature British riders, Parkhotel Valken is a totally Dutch team, and it's a French line-up for Poitou-Charentes Futuroscope86.
Image source, SweetSpot
Ninety one cyclists due to start Tourpublished at 08:29 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Ninety one cyclists are due to start the race today.
Image source, SweetSpot
The list of riders, external is headlined by reigning World Road Race Champion Lizzie Armitstead, who crashed out after winning in Aldeburgh last year. She is joined by four former winners of the rainbow jersey - Marianne Vos, Giorgia Bronzini, Tatiana Guderzo and Marta Bastianelli.
Four World Time Trial Champions are also on the start sheet, including current champion Linda Villumsen, Lisa Brennauer, Ellen Van Dijk and Emma Pooley.
Defending Women's Tour champion Brennauer will wear the number one dossard.
Women's Tour weather: Scattered heavy showerspublished at 08:22 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Kate Kinsella
BBC Look East weather
It's a mostly dry but rather cloudy start to the day, with a little patchy mist.
We'll have brief sunny intervals throughout the day, but heavy, perhaps thundery showers are expected to develop. It will feel warm in the sunshine with light winds.
Riders to be 'sworn in'published at 08:16 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
Graeme Mac
BBC Radio Suffolk sport
All of the riders will be introduced on stage between 09:00 and 10:00 this morning, almost like they're being sworn in ahead of the competition.
Once the race starts it will be at a pedestrian pace, as the riders head towards the Adnams brewery.
It will then pick up speed as they head out of the town and towards Blythburgh.
What route is the Tour taking?published at 08:06 British Summer Time 15 June 2016
The first stage of the 2016 Women's Tour begins in Southwold this morning, with riders expected to finish the 132km (82 miles) stretch at about 13:50 in Norwich.
As we're not renowned for our mountains in this part of the world, you may not be surprised to learn that the total ascent is a mere 888 metres (almost 3,000 ft).
We'll bring you a bit more detail on the route soon, so you can choose a good spot to watch the cyclists go by.
Image source, Google/SweetSpot
Welcome to our Women's Tour coveragepublished at 08:00
Today we're covering stage one of the 2016 Women's Tour, external, which leaves Southwold at around 10:00 and is due to arrive in Norwich about four hours later.
We'll bring you photographs and news of the build-up to the start of the race, as well as coverage once the race gets under way.
If you're going to be watching as the race goes by, we'd love to see your photographs. You can send us an email, or post them on our Facebook page, external.