Marianne Vos returns to UK to ride the Women's Tour in May

World and Olympic road champion Marianne Vos, the woman many believe to be the world's most complete bike rider, male or female, will be back on British roads in May when she takes part in the inaugural edition of the Women's Tour.

The presence of Vos, who beat Great Britain's Lizzie Armitstead to win Olympic gold in the road race at London 2012, was confirmed this morning by organisers SweetSpot.

Her participation, and that of her Rabiobank Liv team, currently ranked number one in the world, reflects the stature of the new race as among the top-ranked women's events on the calendar.

Vos said: "It's great that we get a big new stage race on our calendar with The Women's Tour. The times that I've raced in Great Britain – with of course the London Olympic Games fresh in my mind – I have been amazed by the huge crowds and the enthusiastic people.

"I'm sure it will be a fantastic event and I'm looking forward to competing here with the best riders from all over the World.”

Still aged only 26, Vos has emerged over the past decade as the dominant rider in women's cycling, with multiple world championships on the road, track and in cyclo-cross.

With the Women's Tour taking part in the eastern counties of England, we'd expect a few of her Dutch fans to make the trip across the North Sea to cheer her on.

The five stages have been confirmed as follows:

Stage 1, May 7: Oundle to Northampton
Stage 2, May 8: Hinckley to Bedford
Stage 3, May 9: Clacton-on-Sea
Stage 4, May 10: Cheshunt to Welwyn Garden City
Stage 5, May 11: Harwich to Bury St Edmunds