MEGAN ARMITAGE WILL become the first Irish female to compete in the Tour de France Femmes when it begins on Sunday, 23 July.

The 26-year-old Offaly woman has been included in the Arkea Pro Cycling team’s selection for the second edition of the event.

“Megan Armitage has great climbing qualities,” team manager Franck Renimel said.

“She’s capable of achieving great things on mountain stages, and has already demonstrated this during the season.

“The Tourmalet stage, at a very high level, could prove to be a good test for her to see how she measures up against the world’s best female climbers. Our aim for this Tour de France Femmes 2023 is for our riders to be aggressive, to push forward without necessarily thinking about the overall classification.”

Armitage, from Shinrone, became the first ever Irish woman to win a UCI-ranked stage race at the Vuelta Extremadura Féminas in March.

She finished third in the Irish national elite women’s road race last month.