Wiggle High5 head to the Aviva Women's Tour this week with its Swedish national champion Emma Johansson and Belgian national champion Jolien D'hoore leading the ambitions of the six-rider team. Both riders have won stages in the two previous editions of the British stage race, which is part of the inaugural Women's WorldTour calendar, and also finished runner-up.
"I'm always excited about the Aviva Women's Tour!" said Johansson who will lead the team's GC ambitions with D'hoore to target stage wins. "I loved it from the first moment and the crowds just makes it that little extra!
"That the course is a bit changed and made harder might make it a totally different type of race than the last editions but we will have to wait and see. Our team is very strong and we have a rider for all different types of courses and finals so I really look forward to this week of racing!"
The 2016 edition of the Aviva Women's Tour kicks off with a 132km stage from Southwold toNorwich, followed by the longest stage of the week from Atherstone to Stratford-Upon-Avon, with stage 3 taking the peloton from Ashbourne to Chesterfield, while stage 4 starts in Nottingham and finishes in Stoke-on-Trent. The race concludes with stage 5 from Northampton to Kettering over 133km.
"I'm looking forward to racing there once again," D'hoore said. "I can't compare it to last year… I can't compare the course, and also myself! That's the big difference, but I hope I can help the team.
"I heard that Aviva Women's Tour is pretty hard this year, there's a lot of climbing. We have good riders, so hopefully I can help them."
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The challenging parcours of this year's race is suited to the characteristics Elisa Longo Borghini with the Italian looking to build on her second place from the Philadelphia Classic earlier this month. Compatriot and former two-time world champion Giorgia Bronzini adds experience and depth to the team who will, along with Amy Pieters, look to success in the bunch sprints.
Completing the line up is the sole British rider for the Aviva Women's Tour, Dani King, who continues her full-time transition to the road after a successful career on the track.
Wiggle High5 for the 2016 Aviva Women's Tour: Giorgia Bronzini, Jolien D'hoore, Emma Johansson, Dani King, Elisa Longo Borghini and Amy Pieters.
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