Two previous champions, two stage winners, and a five-time Commonwealth gold medallist have been provisionally announced to race in the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, which starts on August 19, 2026. The British event is organised by British Cycling.
Reigning champion Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-SUEZ) is scheduled to start stage one in Cockermouth alongside 2024 champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx – Protime). Kopecky enters the event following the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, while Wollaston recently won a silver medal in the team pursuit in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games.
Wollaston finished second in the team pursuit behind an Australian squad led by Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco), who is also provisionally scheduled to race. Baker won gold in the scratch race in Glasgow, bringing her total Commonwealth Games gold medal tally to five.
The provisional line-up also includes former stage winners Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) and Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance – Soudal Team). Both riders recently competed in the Tour de France Femmes, where they claimed stage wins and Wiebes won the green points classification jersey. Wiebes previously secured a stage win on the final day of last year’s event in Glasgow, while Le Court Pienaar won the opening stage of the 2025 race in northeast England.
Alice Wood, Race Director of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, said “We are absolutely delighted more world-class cyclists are on the provisional rider line-up for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women 2026. Their presence underlines the growing stature of the race in the global cycling calendar and guarantees fans the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in the world competing on British roads.
“These riders have achieved success at the very highest level of our sport, including previous Lloyds Tour of Britain champions and stage winners. We look forward to giving them, alongside the rest of the peloton, a world-class sporting stage and a fantastic welcome from fans across our country”
The race schedule for the five-stage UCI Women’s WorldTour event includes:
- Stage 1: Wednesday, August 19, 2026 – Cockermouth
- Stage 2: Thursday, August 20, 2026 – Clitheroe to Blackpool
- Stage 3: Friday, August 21, 2026 – Mold to The Great Orme
- Stage 4: Saturday, August 22, 2026 – Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye
- Stage 5: Sunday, August 23, 2026 – Royal Leamington Spa
Stage two in Blackpool will also host the Lloyds Family Cycling Festival, offering cycling activities for spectators prior to the stage finish. The final rider line-up for the event will be officially confirmed ahead of the opening stage.
