SHIPSTON Cycling Club (SCC) chairman Andy Smith admitted it was a “proud day” after two club members were selected to lead the final stage of the prestigious Women’s Tour event.
The sixth and final stage began in Chipping Norton’s picturesque town centre as two SCC riders, Jan Spalding and Becky Babbage, led the stage onto the open roads of the Cotswolds.
And Smith’s daughter-in-law Grace Brown also wore the race leader’s yellow jersey.
Smith said: “It was great to have Jan and Becky leading out the stage.
“We’ve seen more and more female members join the club over the past few years, and our women-only
rides continue throughout the summer.
“It was always going to be special to see Grace ride on the roads we regularly cover with the club, but to see her doing so in the yellow jersey made it an extra proud day – both for my family and the whole club.”
Brown was riding for French team FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope and finished second overall in a nail-biting sprint finish in Oxford.
Posting on Instagram, Brown said: “What a crazy and exciting race! A big thank you to everyone that came out to cheer me on the roads. I heard my name shouted so many times!”
The Australian won stage four from Wrexham to Welshpool and the led the general classification at the end of stage five only to fall narrowly short in her quest for victory to Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini.
