By Nick Butler 

A partnership has been announced with Brother UK a day ahead of the start of the Tour of Britain ©Friends Life Women's TourLeading Information, communications and technology brand Brother UK has been unveiled as "Official Supplier" for the Tour of Britain the day before the inaugural women's event begins.


The partnership announced today, which will see Brother UK become  Official Supplier to the more established men's stage-race as well as the Friends Life Women's Tour, is a further boost for the event ahead of it getting underway.

It will see the brand supply printers and consumables at both races in addition to technical support, while in return Brother UK will be branded in the finish funnel at every stage of each event.

"The Tour of Britain and the Friends Life Women's Tour are both fantastic events which see many of the world's best competitors come to Britain," said the managing director of Brother UK Phil Jones.

"Cycling relies heavily on data and technology for performance analysis so these are events with which we feel the Brother UK brand has many synergies."

The five day Friends Life Women's Tour is due to begin tomorrow with a stage across the Northamptonshire countryside from Oundle to Northampton.

The race will then take in various other regions of the south and midlands of England before a final stage on Sunday (May 11) ending in the Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds.

Marianne Vos and Lizzie Armistead will resume a rivalry which was last seen on British shores at London 2012 ©Getty ImagesMarianne Vos and Lizzie Armistead will resume a rivalry which was last seen on British shores at London 2012 ©Getty Images







Among those competing is the current International Cycling Union World Cup series leader and Olympic road race silver medal winner Lizzie Armistead, and the double London 2012 champion on the track Laura Trott.

But in a total field of 96 riders a strong international challenge will be headed Marianne Vos, the seven-time world champion, who beat Armistead to Olympic glory at London 2012. 

Vos claimed the event marks a breakthrough for women's cycling in a year which will also see, for the first time since 1989, a one-stage event through Paris on the final day of the men's Tour de France on July 27.

Vos also expressed her pleasure at returning to the country where one of the finest moments of her career was earned. 

"Since the London Olympics, I know how crazy Great Britain is about cycling," she told the BBC.

"They really love the sport and it was fantastic to race there."