The stars of women’s elite professional road cycling battle it out every year on the UCI Women’s World Tour. The 2017 UCI Women’s World Tour will be the second edition of this great worldwide cycling tour and for the 2017 season, the calendar will consist of 21 races, up from 17 in 2016.
You can’t beat the excitement of a bike race, either as a cyclist or as a spectator. At Sports Tours International, we are pleased to offer a fantastic selection of VIP access and hospitality experiences to enjoy the biggest races on the 2017 women’s world tour.
There is no need to stand by the road side, stretching for a glance of the riders. VIP access and hospitality experiences will take you to the heart of the action. Take the Amstel Gold Race for example. You will see 10 LIVE passages of the women’s and the men’s race from your VIP hang out whilst you enjoy an afternoon of food and drink.
VIP experiences and hospitality
We are very pleased to present our best ever selection of cycling events and VIP hospitality access options for the 2017 cycling season. From fully organised tours with VIP access included to doing your own thing, we have it all covered.
Have a look at our race review below to see what we have available.
2017 UCI Women’s World Tour review
March 2017
One of the first major races of the year on the UCI Women’s World Tour calendar is the Strade Bianche in Tuscany, Italy (March 4). In 2016 World champion Lizzie Armitstead proudly displayed her rainbow stripes as she soloed across the finish line in Siena’s Piazza del Campo to win the elite women’s race at Strade Bianche on Saturday.
The Strade Bianche weekend takes place in and around Siena, Tuscany on the famed Sterrati or white gravel roads. Amateurs have the option to ride the routes on the Sunday and the men’s and women’s elite races take place on the Saturday.
VIP options include: a day on the race course in an official car, start and finish hospitality and even a helicopter flight! More information here: Strade Bianche
April 2017
In April the cycling classics season follows the same date order traditionally with the Women’s Tour of Flanders (April 2) which will start in Oudenaarde near Ghent and also the Muur van Geraardsbergen will feature on the course again.
The ‘Ronde van Vlaanderen’ is a massive popular event in Belgium. The whole nation turns out to see the heroes of cycling battle it out for the win. You can be there too and our VIP-formulas allow you to be a race insider throughout the day. Whether you choose to be at the start in Antwerp or on one of the legendary climbs in the Flemish Ardennes or at the finish in Oudenaarde, we have different VIP access options available for you. More information here
Next up is the Queen of the Classics; Paris – Roubaix (April 9) which to date has not got a women’s race.
After Roubaix there is the traditional series of Ardennes Classics; Amstel Gold race (April 16) with the Fleche Wallone mid-week on the Wednesday before Liege Bastogne Liege (April 23).
Our 10 day fully supported Ardennes Classics tour lets you ride and watch all these events.
The traditional tryptich of Ardennes classics cycling races will now also feature on the women’s world tour calendar as new in 2017 is the women’s Amstel Gold Race where you can book one of the hospitality options and see 10 LIVE race passages. The Fleche Wallone will have exclusive hospitality on top of the Mur de Huy and in Liege we offer hospitality at the start and the finish.
May – August 2017
The first Grand Tour of the year is the Giro d’Italia which will have its 100th edition and it takes place between May 6 and 28. The Tour de France takes place between July 1 and 23 this year and it features a start in Dusseldorf and a visit to every major mountain range; Vosges, Jura, Pyrenees, Massif Central and 2 visits to the Alps.
Watch the final of the 2017 Tour de France unfold on the mountain roads of the Alps and watch the 2017 Tour de France peloton as the riders tackle some very tough stages in the Alps. Spectators and cyclists will enjoy watching the riders come past on these mountain stages and cyclists will like the opportunity to tackle famous Tour de France climbs like the Col du Vars, Col d’Izoard and the Col du Galibier.
La Course by Le Tour de France
Part of the route of Stage 18 between Briancon and the Col d’Izoard will also be used for ‘La Course by Le Tour de France’ women’s race. Previously held in Paris on the Champs Elysees ahead of the men’s finale, this will be the first time the event takes place in the mountains. The riders of the women’s peloton will battle it out before the men’s race comes through and you can see both! More info here: 3 nights in the Serre Chevalier Valley
The first British World Tour event, the Ride London-Surrey Classic will take place on July 30. The Prudential RideLondon Classique takes place on an impressive and exciting 5.5 mile circuit in Central London for Elite Women. This event is now part of the UCI Womens World Tour in 2017.
The end of the season
The season comes to a close with the final Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España (August 19 to September 10). The best female riders on the international cycling scene once again come to Madrid to compete in the 3rd edition of the Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta women’s race. The race, takes place on a 85.5km route through the heart of Madrid (15 laps of the 5,7km circuit). The Belgian rider Jolien D’Hoore (Wiggle) beat her teammate, the Australian Chloe Hosking, and the Italian from the Ale-Cipollini team, Marta Bastianelli, in a sprint to the finish-line in 2016.
The final Monument of Cycling; the Giro Lombardia takes place on Saturday 7 October.
Ghent Six Days Track cycling
Our favourite season end is the yearly odyssey to Ghent to watch the Ghent 6 days track cycling event in November. The 2016 edition was fantastic with the win of Wiggins and Cavendish. We offer standard tickets for every night as well as hospitality on the weekend nights. The VIP Cafe is particularly good value for money as the open bar is open from 18.00 until 01.30 on Saturday. Hotel stays are also available or even a coach trip from the UK – More information here
VIP experiences and hospitality – what is it all about?
A day on the race course in an official car
The ultimate experience is to spend the whole day on the course during an actual stage. Your day starts with hospitality and access to the start village where you will meet your guide at the welcome desk. After the start village experience you will get in your official race car and spend the day out on the course. You will have lunch en-route and drive through all the crowds for a unique insider experience. At the finish you will enjoy finish line hospitality.
Available on:
Strade Bianche
Tour of Flanders
Giro d’Italia
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana
Giro Lombardia
A helicopter flight over the race course
The above car experience with a bird’s eye view from a helicopter as well. What a day.
Available on:
Strade Bianche
Giro d’Italia
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana
Giro Lombardia
Hospitality at a Grand Tour Finale in Milan, Paris or Madrid
A fantastic selection of exclusive hospitality options to enjoy the grand finale of the 3 Grand Tours of cycling in style on the Piazza Duomo in Milan, the Champs Elysees in Paris and the Paseo del Prado in Madrid. Excellent opportunity to make a nice city break out of it.
Available on:
Giro d’Italia
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana
Stage Start hospitality
The 2017 UCI World Tour teams, event organisers and entourage travel around with the riders. The team busses park within an enclosed and restricted area. An expo type village is created at the start of each one of the stages. It is usually here that everyone who is linked in any way to the events like TV, sponsors and celebrities from the cycling world will show themselves. Also local companies will be keen to show off their wares. Your VIP passes will give you access to the village and the rider’s paddock. If you are into collecting autographs, this is the best place for it.
Available on:
Strade Bianche
Tirreno-Adriatico
Paris – Nice
Milan San Remo
Tour of Flanders
Paris – Roubaix
Fleche Wallone
Liege Bastogne Liege
Giro d’Italia
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana
Giro Lombardia
Stage finish hospitality
All UCI World Tour events set up a limited number of areas located on course within the final portion of the stage. Access to these areas is usually reserved and by invitation only. You will see famous ex-cyclists, sponsors and team guests. Typically these areas are within 200 metres or so of the finish line. There is also a spectator friendly elevated viewing area. You will be served with drinks and snacks and there is a big screen to watch the LIVE action as it unfolds. After watching the finish, you will celebrate the victory with Champagne before watching the daily podium ceremony.
Available on:
Strade Bianche
Tirreno-Adriatico
Paris – Nice
Milan San Remo
Tour of Flanders
Paris – Roubaix
Fleche Wallone
Liege Bastogne Liege
Giro d’Italia
Tour de France
Vuelta a Espana
Giro Lombardia
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