Domestique Debrief: Five conclusions from the 2025 Tour of Britain Women

Stage two featured the infamous Saltburn Bank, a brutally steep climb that shattered the peloton. Mara Roldan (Team Picnic PostNL) of Canada surged ahead, and her 14-kilometre attack to Saltburn-by-the-Sea not only marked her first Women’s WorldTour win but also elevated her as one of the race’s breakout stars, filling her team with joy and optimism for the days ahead. 

Yet cycling’s highs are often matched by its lows: just 24 hours later, Roldan’s fortunes reversed dramatically. On a rain-soaked descent during stage three around Kelso, she was among more than 30 riders caught in a massive crash with 56 kilometres to go, suffering a fractured femur that forced her to abandon the race and undergo surgery. Roldan’s journey from triumph to heartbreak in two days captured the public’s imagination and underscored the unpredictable, often cruel, nature of elite cycling.

Cycling is ultimately about people, and this was never clearer than during stage three of the Tour of Britain Women, when Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) put humanity above competition. As Mara Roldan lay injured after a heavy crash, Deignan stayed by her side, sacrificing her race ambitions to ensure Roldan received immediate care. After her work in the front of the race in the early stages of the day, Deignan won the day's combativity prize. This act of humanity should have been highlighted, as this was the purest form of sport's spirit of solidarity and compassion.

The Scottish Borders, Kelso, delivered chaos on stage 3. Crashes and mechanicals plagued the favourites, but 19-year-old Cat Ferguson of Movistar Team seized her chance. With grit and tactical brilliance, she sprinted to victory and donned the race leader’s jersey, marking her arrival as a “new” British star—and proving the brilliant bet that Movistar Team took on the young talent. 

Overall, the victories in this year’s race went to new rising stars, with young talents like Cat Ferguson and Mara Roldan making their mark and capturing public attention. However, the experience of established riders still played a key role, as seen with Lorena Wiebes, who used her sprinting expertise to secure a stage win on stage 4. This mix of emerging talent and proven experience defined the dynamic and excitement of the 2025 Tour of Britain Women.

The final day was a tactical chess match on Glasgow’s slick city streets. Ally Wollaston of FDJ-Suez scooped up crucial bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints and finished third on the stage, just enough to snatch the overall victory from Ferguson by a mere four seconds. Cat Ferguson got a puncture at a key moment on a tricky, twisty course. Her team had to wait for the right time to change her bike, but this bad luck meant she couldn’t go fully commit to going for all of the bonus seconds during the stage. 

As a result, the general classification was ultimately decided in the final sprint, where Ally Wollaston claimed the three bonus seconds that made all the difference and secured her overall victory—making a statement that all seconds count and the intermediate sprints can play a fundamental role in the overall classification.

The successful staging of the Tour of Britain Women is a bright spot for UK cycling in a challenging year. With the men’s Tour of Britain running as a .Pro rather than a WorldTour event, and with RideLondon absent from the calendar this year, this race became the country’s premier showcase for women’s cycling. The turnout of 19 teams and 110 riders underscored the sport’s enduring appeal – and the importance of supporting its future. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, the race proved that British cycling’s spirit – and its next generation – are alive and thriving.