Cycling's first ever women's tour of Scotland - offering prize money equivalent to a men's race - gets under way on Friday.

Many of the top teams in the world, including some of the best competitors from Great Britain and Scotland, are taking part.

Organisers are anticipating around 100,000 spectators over three days.

Olympic champion Katie Archibald: "I'm really excited now. When it was far away I couldn't really see what it was going to be like, but now I've ridden on the roads, I've seen the other riders, maybe I'll wake up terrified, but I'm just really keen to get going.

"The marker for prize money is fantastic - that's how you attract some of the best people and the best teams in the world.

"My mum has got everything planned out for where she is going to be - it's so exciting to hear people being excited about a race that is going to come to them."

Teams will compete over three days, departing from Dundee before heading into Fife and finishing the first day in Dunfermline.

Day two begins in Glasgow city centre before ending in Perth, and the final day's competition sees cyclists start and end in Edinburgh - taking in a 118km route around the Borders.