Aviva Women's Tour boasts top Derbyshire viewing spots as race gets underway

The Aviva Women's Tour cycle road race launches today, Wednesday, June 15, with some great vantage points to earmark during its arrival in Derbyshire on Friday and Saturday.
Pictured is the 2015 Aviva Women's Tour.Pictured is the 2015 Aviva Women's Tour.
Pictured is the 2015 Aviva Women's Tour.

Spectators are being urged to decide where to watch the Aviva Women’s Tour of Britain as it passes through large parts of the county on June 17 and June 18.

The race features 17 cycling teams and is expected to include many top international riders such as Britain’s World Road Race Champion Lizzie Armitstead, of the Boels Dolmans team, defending champion Lisa Brennauer, of the CANYON//SRAM Racing team, and multiple World title-holder and Olympic Champion Marianne Vos, of Rabo Liv.

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The race starts today, June 15, from Southwold, in Suffolk, and finishes in Kettering, on June 19, with a Derbyshire route during Stage 3, on Friday, from Ashbourne to Chesterfield, and a return to the county during Stage 4’s Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent route, on Saturday.

Stage 3 includes a 109.6km route, on Friday, from Ashbourne to Chesterfield, including the Peak District National Park, Buxton and Matlock, and Stage 4, on Saturday, will pass through south Derbyshire on its way from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent.

Below is a breakdown of Stage 3 from Ashbourne to Chesterfield and the best viewing spots:

Stage 3;

The Stage 3 route leaves Ashbourne Market Place at 10.45am and heads out on the A515 towards Fenny Bentley.

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The peloton passes the turn-offs for Tissington and Alsop-en-le-Dale before taking a left towards Heathcote, Crowdecote and Earl Sterndale as they head for Buxton town centre at around 11.40am for the first sprint section of the day along Terrace Road.

Then the riders head back south on the A5270, skirting King Sterndale and Chelmorton around noon, before hitting Monyash, then taking the Long Rake road towards Youlgrave at around 12.25pm.

They travel down through Alport before taking a sharp right on to the B5056 for the first Queen of the Mountains section up a steep climb that passes local landmark Robin Hood’s Stride.

Then it’s left into Winster at around 12.35pm along the B5057, onto Wensley and downhill through Cross Green into Darley Bridge, over the bridge and up Station Road to the A6 T-junction by the Whitworth Hotel for around 12.45pm.

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The A6 from Darley Dale towards Matlock is the second sprint section of the day, and then it’s into Matlock town centre, around 12.50pm, along Bakewell Road ahead of the second Queen of the Mountains challenge - Matlock’s tortuous Bank Road.

The peloton then heads out on the A632 Chesterfield Road and past Matlock Golf Club, taking a left turn at the top of Slack Hill into Wirestone Lane, around 1pm, and Screetham Lane towards Beeley Moor. Then it’s down the fast descent from the top of the moor, winding down into Beeley village, right onto the B6102 towards Chatsworth and Edensor before leaving the Derbyshire Dales at Baslow, around 1.25pm as the riders head to Cutthorpe and on to the finish in Chesterfield Market Place around 2pm.

Ashbourne viewing spots;

The race starts from the St John’s Street and Market Place area along the A515 Buxton Road at 10.45am, and there are a number of events taking place in the Market Place beforehand.

To get ready for the event some roads within the town centre will be closed from midnight. These are part of Church Street from the Station Road junction to St John’s Street, part of St John’s Street up to the Market Place and Dig Street.

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From 7am there will also be a temporary one way system, in an anti-clockwise direction, along Cokayne Avenue, turning left into The Green road, then onto King Street, to join the A515 above the Market Place. Parking will be available in the town centre car parks, but traffic in the town will be very busy, and car parks may fill up quickly.

Buxton viewing spots;

The riders are expected to be in Buxton at some time between 11.10am to 12.00noon. The roads on the route, the A515, A53, the A6 may be closed for around 30 minutes during this time, so visitors are advised to make sure they are in the town by 10.30am in plenty of time to get a good viewing point.

There is an intermediate sprint which ends on Buxton High Street. Expect this area to be busy – barriers and equipment will be set up during the morning.

Matlock viewing spots;

Matlock is expected to be busy as the rolling road closure and riders arrive at some time between 12.20pm and 13.05pm. They arrive in the town on the A6 from Darley Dale and turn left up the Queen of the Mountains climb of Bank Road. The racers then travel past Highfields School on the A623, and over Beeley Moor and down to Beeley village and on to Chatsworth. These roads may be closed for around 30 minutes during this time, so visitors are advised to make sure they are in Matlock by 11.45am.

Chatsworth viewing spots:

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The riders are expected to arrive on the Chatsworth estate at some time between 12.50pm and 13.40pm. They arrive in the estate from Beeley and then follow the B6012 through the estate towards Baslow. The roads may be closed for around 30 minutes during this time, so visitors need to make sure they get to Chatsworth by 12.15pm. Car parks at Chatsworth House will be open as normal and access will be available apart from the rolling road closure that accompanies the cyclists.

Chesterfield viewing spots;

Big crowds are expected to see the peloton arrive in the town and to view the finish in the Market Place. The rolling road closure and riders are expected to arrive in the town at some time between 13.15pm and 14.15pm. Roads may be closed for around 30 minutes during this time. Visitors are advised to make sure they are in Chesterfield early, to find a good viewing point, and to soak up the atmosphere of pre-event activities throughout the morning.

There’ll be lots to see and do with events taking place in the Market Place and surrounding areas. There’ll be lots of cycling activities to view and take part in and some events involving local schools will be taking place.

There will be some road closures early in the morning, on roads leading off the Market Place. Some road closures in the Soresby Street, Rose Hill, Clarence Road, Rutland Road, Foljambe Road, and West Bars (from Rutland Road to New Beetwell Street) areas will be necessary from 12 noon, until crowds and event infrastructure have cleared.

Stage 4 of the Aviva Women’s Tour:

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This stage passes through Erewash and South Derbyshire on Saturday 18 June. The route visits Long Eaton Breaston , Draycott, Borrowash, Elvaston & Thulston, Aston-on-Trent, Weston-on-Trent, Swarkestone, Ticknall, Hartshorne, Woodville, Swadlincote and Newhall, before leaving Derbyshire on the A511, towards, Burton, and ultimately the finish at Stoke on Trent.