By Nick Butler

A women's event has been added to the Tour of Utah for the first time ©Getty ImagesWomen's cycling has been provided with a further boost after it was revealed an event for elite and professional women will be held at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah for the first time this year.


The race will be held on Wednesday, August 6 to coincide with the third stage of the men's professional stage race, known as "America's Toughest Stage Race", which is due to take place in an expanded format this year, from August 4 until 10.

It will consist of 15 circuits of a 2.2 mile loop in Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, set to take place between 12:30 and 2pm, before the men's stage concludes around 3 and 4pm. 

"The Tour of Utah is proud to provide the opportunity and showcase the competitiveness of women's cycling with a collection of the top professional, national and composite teams," said Alex Kim, race director for the USA Cycling sanctioned event.

"The inclusion of a circuit race at Miller Motorsports Park will double the excitement for spectators at the finish line with the women's and men's events."

Entries are currently being accepted for professional teams, domestic elite and established teams, as well as for qualified riders who seek to join a composite team.

They can be made here, and are due to close on Friday, June 6, 2014, with full details of the men's race still to be revealed. 

The race is the latest in a growing list of women's cycling races to take place in 2014 including the La Fleche Wallone in Belgium last month won by Pauline Ferrand Prevot ©AFP/Getty ImagesThe race is the latest in a growing list of women's cycling races to take place in 2014 including the La Fleche Wallone in Belgium last month won by Pauline Ferrand Prevot
©AFP/Getty Images





"It's great to see another big American race is adding a women's race during a year, where women's racing is really making its mark," said one likely participant in local rider Tayler Wiles, a professional cyclist with Team Specialized-lululemon.

"I grew up in Utah and started my cycling career by training on all of the beautiful roads featured in the Tour of Utah.

"I'm excited to see the progress being made with the addition of this race to the Tour of Utah."

The announcement coincides with the beginning of the Friends Life Women's Tour, the first female version of the Tour of Britain, which has attracted several of the world's top female riders for a five-day event due to finish on Sunday (May 11).

For the first time since 1989, a one-stage event for women through Paris will also take place on the final day of the men's Tour de France, on July 27.

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