Daventry to Kettering kicks things off for the 2017 edition of the OVO Energy Women’s Tour, over 91 miles, or 145 kilometers.

Daventry was a valuable stop on the old coaching routes that ran between London and the Midlands, especially Coventry and between Oxfordshire and Leicestershire. Today, maybe the departure of the Women’s Tour will give the town another mark as the start of something important rather than merely a stop on the way somewhere else.

We’ve got a long neutralised zone to start the stage, and then a profile that resembles a key cut by a lunatic – barely any flat on a constant up-down battle with those notoriously heavy British road surfaces.

The route is constantly twisting and turning so concentrating at all times to avoid being caught out if the peloton splits in the wind mean it could be a stressful first leg of the race.

North-west, then north-east, then south-east and north to the third-category climb in Haselbech, and east to a sprint in Desborough. There are endless traps for the careless and the race could be lost very early if you’re not at 100%.

The route then comes close to Kettering before looping away to the north for a second-category climb at Rockingham, and a sprint at Oundle before dropping to the south of Kettering and turning for home.

©Theo Southee Photography/The Tour

The arrival is now familiar to the riders – they’ve been here the last two years with wins going to Christine Majerus in 2015 and Lotta Lepisto 12 months ago. Kettering has been subject to a degree of regeneration in its centre, mixing new developments with the old buildings of the Market place and Sheep Street.

Majerus has the pedigree to repeat her win, but she’ll have plenty of competition from the likes of Lisa Brennauer and Elisa Longo Borghini if she’s to take the first green leaders jersey.