Sophie Lankford earns Scotland call-up to race in Women's Tour of Scotland
Sophie Lankford will be flying the flag of Scotland after being named in their team for the inaugural Women’s Tour of Scotland.
The 23-year-old Girton-based cyclist is part of a six-strong squad that will take place from August 9 to 11. Her team-mates are Rio Olympic gold medalist Katie Archibald, Neah Evans, Anna Shakley, Jenny Holl and Jennifer George.
Lankford swept the board at the Scottish National Track Championships, and has made the leap to road racing with Team Jadan Weldtite-Vive le Velo to earn numerous top 10 results in the Tour Series and victory in the HSBC UK National Women’s Circuit Series in Bristol.
“It means a lot for me to represent Scotland for the first time in my cycling career,” said Lankford.
“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, so I feel honoured to have the opportunity.
“It’s great to have the race, which is paving the way for women’s cycling and demonstrating that we can have a stand alone event.
“This year has been a big learning curve for me and I’m looking forward to being part of a really strong team, where I hope to learn from them and gain more experience.
“All in all, I’m very excited.”
The three-day, three-stage race will be contested by some of the world’s top cycling talent.