Women's cycling forging ahead

The inaugural five-stage race, won by double Olympic gold medallist Marianne Vos, debuted to great success last summer, attracting a raft of world-class riders including Britain's Lizzie Armitstead and Laura Trott.

Back for a second year, the 2015 line-up is no less impressive. With Vos absent as she continues her recuperation following a tough cyclo- cross and early road season, the start list will include Armitstead, Trott, reigning double Swedish national champion Emma Johansson, and Sharon Laws, winner of the queen of the mountains jersey in 2014.

Britain's most decorated female Paralympian and 11-time gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey, two-time world champion Giorgia Bronzini and rising British star Hannah Barnes, who was crowned best young rider at the Women's Tour of California last month, will also compete.

Scottish double European track champion Katie Archibald, fresh from wins in the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series and Jupiter London Nocturne, will ride alongside Storey for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International. Her compatriot, Eileen Roe, is named as a reserve by Wiggle-Honda.

Racing gets under way in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on Wednesday and will take place over five stages around the south-east of England.

While Vos won't be competing, the Dutch rider will be following the race as a reporter for ITV4.

"After last year's experience, of course, I'm sad I can't race this time," she says. "I'm sure it will be a great race again this year, so it will be interesting to follow it close from the side. For me it will be different to see it from this perspective, but I'm happy to be back again.

"The women's tour shows the potential of international women's cycling and the professional organisation sets the example for other races. Above all, it's great for the riders to have a race with this much interest and good for the fans to be able to see all world-class riders going for the win."

Framed on Elliott's wall is a photograph of the stage-four finish at Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, last year that shows the packed crowds which thronged the route. When people say no one is interested in women's cycling, he proudly shows them that.

His vision is for it to be "the only cycling event in the world where women are not second best". What makes the Aviva Women's Tour so special is that it is a stand-alone event - not one tacked on alongside a men's race.

"Everyone who comes to watch is coming to see the women race," says Elliott. "There is also the social agenda we wrap around it. Last year we had the Arsenal Ladies Football Club and Saracens Women's Rugby Club. We want girls to come away feeling inspired. It doesn't matter if they take up cycling or another sport. If they do anything we view that as a success."

In terms of increasing the profile of women's cycling, Elliott believes that ambition is already well on its way to being realised. "We have made real progress after last year," he says. "We had half a million viewers on ITV4 every day which was fantastic. This year we are extending the TV coverage and it is going out across more mainland European countries. We also have more of a primetime slot at 8pm rather than 9pm."

It is a move which echoes the enhanced television coverage for another SweetSpot women's cycling event, the 2015 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series, which was held over five rounds alongside the men's Pearl Izumi Tour Series.

"As a result of public demand the women's race, which used to be 10 minutes of a one-hour programme, we have been putting out a full half- hour [of highlights on ITV4]," he says. "We have been getting a great response from that and are feeling very positive."

The Aviva Women's Tour, says Elliott, is shaping up to be another cracker. "I think we have got 10 or 11 national champions taking part this year," he says. "We were a little worried because we had a date clash with the Baku 2015 European Games - it is a very crowded international calendar - but almost everyone is coming to our race.

"In a way - and I don't mean this disrespectfully to Marianne Vos - it will open up the race a bit. She is like Eddy Merckx because she is so good."

While the Aviva Women's Tour is presently concentrated around the south-east of England, Elliott says there are plans to expand across the country.

"We are definitely doing that and already talking to councils about taking it to new areas next year," he says. "Our vision is to creep it across the country, moving westwards or north-westwards. We will also move into more challenging areas with more hills."