Tour de France Femmes: Lizzie Holden says rebirth of race will witness eight days of 'aggressive racing'

It is over 30 years since the last official Women's Tour de France was staged by Tour organisers. While other races have been launched during that period, excitement is building ahead of Sunday's opening stage on the Parisian streets for the all-new race that follows the conclusion of the men's Tour.

It is an historic moment that Isle of Man born and raised Holden can't wait to be part of - even if the brutal eight-day race spreading some 1,029kms across France featuring gravel sectors and back-to-back mountain stages will push the world-class 24-team peloton to the limits.

The women's version may be 13 stages fewer than the men's race, which was first organised in 1903, yet Holden believes discussions around whether the women's race should emulate the same three-week format and route as the men's needs to look to the science.