Press release from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.
The riders lining up for this year’s 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be in for a challenging contest, taking in nearly 900km with 8814 metres of ascent across the five stages of this year’s race.
The world’s best riders will face 878.8km (546 miles) of racing across the stages which start in Lincolnshire, before moving up the coast to East Yorkshire, then into North Yorkshire, before heading to the Scottish Borders for its conclusion.
The challenging route will take in some iconic locations from the famous Michaelgate in Lincoln, seaside towns on the East coast, to the cities of Hull and Ripon before heading into the heart of the Yorkshire Dales, and then onto intriguing sections in the Lammermuir Hills of the Scottish Borders ahead of an overall race finish in Earlston.
Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures, Jonathan Day, said:
“It is always exciting to reveal the stage routes for the Lloyds Tour of Britain, it’s the news fans have been waiting for, so they can plan the best positions to watch the world’s best riders in the UK. We have worked closely with all our stakeholders to design a fantastic route that will ignite the race and create a memorable spectacle for all involved.
“The Tours are one of the largest free to spectate events in Britain, so we are thrilled to be bringing the men’s route from Lincolnshire, through East and North Yorkshire, all the way to Earlston in the Scottish Borders. The route brings unique challenges to the riders, while delivering a backdrop which shows the best of Britain, from the beautiful coastline, across the highways, through our stunning countryside, and up some iconic and challenging categorised climbs.”
Stage One – Lincoln-Lincoln – Wednesday 2 September 2026
Stage Two – Boston-Skegness – Thursday 3 September 2026
Stage Three – Hull-Beverley – Friday 4 September 2026
Stage Four – Helmsley-Leyburn – Saturday 5 September 2026
North Yorkshire is renowned for its challenging routes and passionate fans, with stage four expected to be a pivotal moment in deciding the 2026 General Classification winner as the riders take on the 165.8km with 2700m of ascent for the hardest stage of the 2026 Tour.
Starting in the market town of Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, the race will head through Easingwold, Boroughbridge, and the cathedral city of Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
A challenging climb out of Greenhow Bank out of Pateley Bridge (4km at 7,2% average gradient), paves the way for the peloton head to Grassington, before it weaves its way up Wharfedale towards Buckden and Cray.
Taking in the spectacular scenery, the riders climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient), whose maximum 12.6% gradients featured in both the 2014 Tour de France opening stage and the men’s road race at the 2019 UCI cycling world championships, before heading to the iconic Aysgarth Falls. The stage then tackles the climbs of Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient) in quick succession, before the race reaches a thrilling conclusion in Leyburn which is hosting a finish to the Lloyds Tour of Britain for the first time, on what is sure to be a memorable day’s racing.
Stage Five – Earlston-Earlston – Sunday 6 September 2026
To discover the routes of all six stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in more detail, and more information about the race and host venues, please click here.
The routes for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women will follow soon.
