The women's Tour of Britain, to be launched next year by SweetSpot, will be "a five-day event in the east of the country, probably with a date in May, and with daily coverage on terrestrial television," according to William Fotheringham of the London GUARDIAN. It will attempt, "most critically," to become the first women's cycling event to offer "absolute parity between men and women in terms of prize money and backup." Guy Elliott, who is directing the race, said, "The only cycling event in the world where women are not second best." Elliott described the disparity between the resources on offer for men and women at the highest level in cycling -- "be it prize money, team budgets or accommodation at their races -- as 'catastrophic'" and said that there is a "clear health and moral case for promoting women's sport as well as a sound business reason." Elliott is in search of "major sponsors to come in alongside councils who have expressed their interest and television companies." As with the men's Tour of Britain, the objective is to "have a number of key sponsors rather than be dependent on one." Elliott is adamant that a women's event "should stand alone rather than be bolted on to a men's race, partly to ensure it gains a greater profile but also so the social message is not diluted" (GUARDIAN, 8/4).
