The stage routes for the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men have been revealed by the event organiser, British Cycling.
Riders lining up for this year’s race will cover 910.3km (565 miles) with 8,814m of ascent across five stages. The event starts in Lincolnshire, moves up the coast to East Yorkshire, travels into North Yorkshire, and heads to the Scottish Borders for its conclusion.
The route will take in locations such as Michaelgate in Lincoln, seaside towns on the east coast, the cities of Hull and Ripon, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Lammermuir Hills before the overall race finish in Earlston.
Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures, 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.”
Jonathan Day added “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 on Wednesday September 2, 2026, will start and finish in Lincoln, covering 187.6km. Riders will head into the Lincolnshire Wolds, pass through Market Rasen and Caistor, and ride past Waddingham and Ingham. The peloton will tackle the 11.3% average gradient climb of Michaelgate five times on a final circuit in the city centre after nearly 120km of racing, taking in the Lincoln Grand Prix circuit.
Stage Two on Thursday September 3, 2026, features a 185.2km route between Boston and Skegness. The peloton will ride past Coningsby, Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, before heading east into the Lincolnshire Wolds to intersect with the stage one course at Binbrook. After heading to Louth, Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, the race hits an ascent near Langton Hill before finishing in Skegness.
Stage Three on Friday September 4, 2026, departs from Hull for a 200.6km stage. The route heads to the east coast through Withernsea, Hornsea and Skipsea. The race continues to Burton Agnes, Driffield and Wetwang. Upon reaching Beverley, riders face a 16km circuit with four passages, finishing with an uphill drag to the racecourse.
Stage Four on Saturday September 5, 2026, covers 170.5km with 2,459m of ascent from Helmsley to Leyburn. Starting in the North York Moors National Park, the race heads through Easingwold, Boroughbridge and Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The route features Greenhow Bank out of Pateley Bridge (4km at 7.2% average gradient), Grassington, Wharfedale, Buckden and Cray.
Riders will also climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient), which featured in the 2014 Tour de France and the 2019 UCI Cycling World Championships, before passing Aysgarth Falls. The stage then tackles Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient) before concluding in Leyburn.
Stage Five on Sunday September 6, 2026, starts and finishes in Earlston. The route travels towards Smailholm and Kelso, turning off to take in Hume, Greenlaw and Duns. A sector in the Lammermuir Hills passes Whiteadder Water before climbs to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank. The race concludes back in Earlston after two circuits of a 19km lap.
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men is part of the UCI ProSeries. In addition to its events arm, British Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in Great Britain, managing grassroots participation through to the elite riders representing Great Britain internationally.
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