Today sees a notable date for women’s cycling in this country with the first ever ‘Tour of England’ being staged. The first stage takes the 96 competitors making up 16 different professional teams from Oundle to Northampton, a distance of 93.8km or just over 58 miles for the more mature amongst us.

This inaugural event will cover 509km (just over 316 miles) in five stages, finishing in Bury St Edmonds on the 11th May. For the first time the same level of back up and treatment that is made available to a women’s race as is given to men’s major races, such is the importance of this event. As well as British Olympic track gold medalists Dani King and Laura Trott, Dutch two-time Olympic champion Marianne Vos and Britain's London 2012 silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead will be among those vying for victory in a very strong field. This is despite its early season date and the fact that it almost clashes with a World Cup event that takes place in China, so you can see how important this race is for the ladies, who want it to be a success.

The organizers are looking this make this the biggest womens road race within the next three years, and who would bet against them, but will the two hundred media who covered the launch and preview event, still be taking about the race and its trails and tribulations, success’ and failures at the end? Only then will we see if this event gets bigger and better next year.

The race itself takes in both country lanes as well as major roads, and several designated climbs as well as routes which will hopefully offer something for each type of rider, and no doubt will feature the classic leader’s shirt in yellow, with a variety of team colours being featured in both tops and shorts, so if you have the chance get out and give the British girls your support.

Sweden's Emma Johansson held off Marianne Vos and Britain's Hannah Barnes to claim victory on stage one of the inaugural Women's Tour of Britain so the event has really begun in earnest.

While its great to see women’s cycling get the recognition it deserves after the Olympic and World Championship success we have had in recent years it does seem a pity the furthest north and west the race is coming is the start of the second stage in Hinckley in Leicestershire and with it finishing in Bury St Edmonds, it can hardly be described as a tour of England, what do you think? I appreciated that this is the first time this event has been held, but wouldn’t it have been better to have each stage of the race in a different part of the country, so that the whole country can get involved?