The Tour of Britain Men might struggle to compete in terms of prestige with the Vuelta a España, which takes place concurrently, but something sensational was happening here in the UK last week, due to the dynamic of the domestic tour. It was something you’ll never see at a Grand Tour. And it bodes well for British cycling.

In its current format, as a 2.Pro race, the Tour of Britain pits elite WorldTour teams not just against Continental outfits, but also an ensemble of GB athletes. This national team is typically a dynamic squad of youthful riders who – unrestrained by traditional team responsibilities, and looking to catch the attention of team bosses – often ride with fearless freedom, acting like disruptive cats amongst a bunch of pro racing pigeons.

And that’s exactly what happened this week, with 20-year-old Elliot Rowe and 21-year-old Ben Wiggins in particular showing prodigious talent and tenacity to go toe-to-toe with seasoned top riders such as Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos) and green-jersey-winning Tim Wellens of UAE Team Emirates XRG.

On the final stage of the tour, both riders threw caution to the crosswind and set up an exciting and unpredictable end to the race.

Almost as soon as the peloton left Earlston in the Scottish Borders, Wiggins was instrumental in instigating an audacious early break that completely confounded everyone’s expectations of how the day would unfold.

The five who escaped were eventually caught, and most were dropped, but Wiggins dug deep and stayed in the lead pack for the entirety of the 156km stage, keeping pace with top riders.

Inside the last 10km he launched a fresh attack that had commentators speculating about a stage win. It wasn’t to be, Nils Politt ultimately outgunned him, but the gutsy performance saw Wiggins finish sixth on the day, elevating him to tenth in the final general classification, and earned him the stage combativity award.

Even with his pedigree, Wiggins knew he’d been part of something special, riding with illustrious company.

"It was super cool,” he enthused when Cycling Weekly spoke to him immediately afterwards. “I mean, these guys… like they've won Grand Tour stages – a lot of them have just come out of the tour team with Tadej [Pogacar]. I did have a moment when the group formed… I was like,’ this is wickedness’.

“I wasn't expecting that. It was mint. I'm currently without a job for next year as well. So hopefully that helps my case.

“I know I have the engine to compete with the best – I do genuinely feel that. But when those boys are going flat-out, it's impressive. It was pretty hard to hang on to them at times. I just had to dig in.

“I knew this was going to be my day in some form. It's definitely the biggest result of my career so far."

Meanwhile, Rowe, who usually rides for Visma-Lease a Bike Development team, finished in sixth place overall in the GC and took home the white best young rider’s jersey, which he’d been wearing all week.

It was an exceptional start-to-finish performance from the prodigiously talented young Scot, who also showed impressive determination on home soil during the final day, at one point launching a solo attack to try and bridge across to the lead group.

“The Lincoln day gave me quite a lot of confidence,” Elliot Rowe told us. “I knew I could be there. I was on the limit, but I was there. I'm riding for the national team. I'm not getting looked at by the other guys, so I had zero pressure. “I thought, ‘why not just race, race freely, give it a go?’ I love racing my bike.”

The young riders’ enjoyment of the event was writ large on their faces. And with Wiggins and Rowe in their ranks, GB punched well above their weight during this tour, finishing fourth in the team standings, ahead of several WorldTour teams.

“It's really important, because obviously everyone wants to make the next step up to become pro.” said Rowe. “So, getting a chance to race these guys and learn from them. you know, even like racing against them, you learn things that they're doing.

"We did really well this week as a national team in this field, I think we held our own pretty well. I think we proved that we could mix it in the finals on any day. And that was nice to see. And yeah, we came together really well as a group of lads, and we just had fun every day.”

A brilliant edition of the Tour of Britain concluded with an exciting final stage in the Scottish Borders, as Nils Politt soloed to victory in Earlston, whilst his teammate Tim Wellens finished safely in the chasing group to seal the overall victory after taking the lead the previous day.

The pair split the race along with three of their UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates in an exposed section of moorland over the top of the Duddy Bank climb with around 80km to go. Filippo Ganna (Netcompany Ineos) followed and worked with them to bridge across to the early breakaway, where Ben Wiggins (Great Britain) and Marcus Sander Hansen (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm) also joined the move to form an eight-rider group at the head of the race.

With Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) in the chasing group behind, their teams set about closing the gap to those ahead of them. However, they struggled to make any significant inroads, as UAE Team Emirates-XRG began to ride as a five-rider team time trial at the head of the race, with Ganna also continuing to pull turns.

Keen not to let the stage go to a sprint and potentially squander their numerical advantage in the leading group, Politt then attacked with 9km to go, as they now had over a minute on the chasing group and Wellens’ green leader’s jersey looked to be secured.

Wiggins then bridged across and was initially able to follow the former German national champion, in what was an impressive ride by the 21-year-old British rider, but Politt would ultimately prove too strong for him, as he slipped back to the group behind.

Politt then rode solo to the finish in Earlston where he claimed his first win outside of Germany since his stage victory at the Tour de France in 2021, pointing to the sky as he crossed the line.

“This victory is for my grandpa,” Politt said in his post-race interview. “He passed away some weeks ago, so I needed to give him something back.”

Ganna then won the sprint from the group behind to snatch the red points jersey from the shoulders of Askey, who had to settle for second place in the general classification, as Wellens finished safely to seal the overall victory.

“It was a very successful week. We came here for the GC and then today we also have this stage victory, so everything’s been perfect,” Wellens said after the race.

“Today, to be honest, we just wanted to defend the leader’s jersey. We didn’t want to attack, we didn’t want to make it a hard race,” he continued. “We just wanted to ride defensively, but then suddenly in the crosswind, Ineos started to ride very hard. We just followed, there was a gap and then we just rode tempo with Mikkel [Bjerg], but the crosswind was so hard that the group split again, we moved the whole team to the front and we continued full to the finish. So today we can say we won thanks to Mikkel, because he made the gap.”

After escaping the peloton early on, as part of a six-man breakaway, Cees Bol displayed impressive endurance in the hills of North Yorkshire to push through and take victory on day four of the 2026 Tour of Britain.

The Dutch Decathlon CMA CGM rider was part of lead group that forged an early lead – which extended to over four minutes at one stage – along with Yorkshireman Ben Swift (Netcompany-Ineos) Xando Muerisse (Pinorello Q36.5), Ian Lopez (Modern Adventure), Brem Deman (Team Flanders Baloise) and Boas Lysgaard (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm).

The much anticipated queen stage of the race was contested amid the tough terrain of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, and on Kidstones, a category two climb, UAE Team Emirates started riding hard for their GC contender, Tim Wellens, who began the day just 12 seconds behind the leader, Brit Lewis Askey (NSN).

By the time the lead group reached category-one Redmire, the final and hardest climb of the day, the chasers were right on their rear wheels. Together with young Scottish rider Elliot Rowe (Great Britain Cycling Team), Wellens joined the leaders.

His blood up, the Belgian soon began setting the pace and only Bol could stay with him as the pair crested Redmire with Wellens in the lead.

They soon established a one-and-a-half minute lead over the group behind them, and although this was slashed to 30 seconds as the finish at Leyburn loomed, they could not be caught. Bol proved the faster of the two in the end, securing his first stage win that wasn't the result of a sprint.

"[The victory] was unexpected for me," Bol said afterwards. "I was going in the break to actually help my teammate Dan [Hoole]. I found myself in the leading group on the top of the last climb and I knew the stage win was possible.

“I was suffering really hard because there was still a small hill two kilometres to go and Tim was really keeping the pace high there. Just suffering and focusing to not let the wheel go. From the top there I also didn’t pull anymore and then I knew I could win."

The result means home favourite Askey has lost his general classification lead to Wellens, whose performance – and that of his teammates – was exceptional today.

"Maybe because of the small help I got from Cees [Bol] I got a few more seconds in GC advantage," said Wellens afterwards. "But I’m happy he helped me, but I have the impression he needs to say more thank you to me than I to him.

"I’m feeling really good but tomorrow can be hectic. Hopefully there are some climbs and maybe in the beginning some rain. This is never nice, but I hope the advantage will be enough to keep it [the green jersey] until the end.”

The British rider, who rode hard to finish in fifth place, remains at the top of the points classification, was more magnanimous about losing his GC lead. "I can’t be disappointed with that," said Askey. "Every single person in the team today rode incredibly. I also rode a really good race and had a really good day.

"If I had replayed that race and been able to make decisions from a little control box, I would have done everything exactly the same. We were just beaten by a stronger man, honestly."

Tour of Britain Men 2026, Stage 4: Helmsley > Leyburn, 165.8km

1. Cees Bol (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, in 4:00:39
2. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +3s
3. Fabio Christen (Sui) Pinarello Q36.5, +21s
4. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos +30s
5. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling
6. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling
7. Axel Källberg (Fin) Lucky Sport Cycling
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
9. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain
10. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, all at same time

General Classification after stage 4

1. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG in 16:01:45
2. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, +21s
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +40s
4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +42s
5. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, "
6. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, +54s
7. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, "
8. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos +2:14
9. Mark Donovan (Gbr) Pinarello Q36.5, +2:41
10. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +3:15

Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) added another victory to his extensive Tour of Britain palmarès on stage three, crossing the line first in Beverley after a chaotic sprint finish.

Having finished second yesterday behind Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), Kooij turned the tables on the Belgian, who was second today and was forced to cede his red points jersey to Kooij.

Dutchman Kooij now has eight Tour of Britain stage wins to his credit – four coming in 2023 and three last year. He is the second most winning rider in the race, behind Mark Cavendish with 10.

GC leader Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) finished at the same time in 17th place, retaining his top spot.

Afterwards Kooij said it had been good to win after having his efforts thwarted on the previous stage.

"It's always nice to get a win, especially after yesterday," he said. "I wanted to try and do my sprint at the right moment, and especially with the headwind I had to really wait to find my way through and then open up. In the end I stayed patient, and once I saw 150 [metres to go] I thought 'now's the time to go'."

The result mirrored that of stage three of the race in 2023 for Kooij, who also won in Beverley that day. Asked whether that experienced had helped today, he said: "Quite well. Especially the run-in to the corner is really fast and I think we did it really well with the team. We managed really well in the wind, controlling at the end, and the boys brought me in to the final in a really perfect way."

The 181.1km third stage began in Hull and finished in nearby Beverley in East Yorkshire, taking riders on a big, northerly loop before heading south again for three laps outside the finishing town.

A mostly flat day that was custom-made for a sprint finish, the trio of cat-three climbs mid stage was always going to be unlikely to significantly affect the outcome, and the early break was well away by the time the race reached them.

A stiff westerly always seemed more likely to play a part, and while it kept teams on their toes, there were no major splits. The break was caught soon after 60km to go, after which it became apparent that the Belgian Tarteletto-Isorex team were keen to take advantage of conditions that replicated those back home.

An attack by the team's Gianna Marchand quickly ran aground, but shortly afterwards Yorben Lauryssen had more success, attacking with 48km to go and holding out all the way to 7km to go – and being awarded the day's combativity prize to boot.

Then it was the turn of the teams of the fastmen, with Netcompany-Ineos and Decathlon CMA CGM massing near the front to keep the pace high. In the final Kooij got the jump, while a boxed-in Merlier thrashed around looking for the gaps, and the whole show looking as though it might come tumbling down at any moment. Thankfully everyone stayed upright, while Kooij came in well clear, at least a bike length ahead of rival Merlier.

Tour of Britain Men 2026, stage three: Hull > Beverley, 181.1km

1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, in 4:04:32
2. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step
3. Axel Källberg (Fin) Lucky Sport
4. Timothy Dupont (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
5. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Pinarello Q36.5
6. Arne Santy (Bel) Tarteletto-Isorex
7. Ethan Vernon (Gbr) NSN Cycling
8. Boas Lysgaard (Den) BHS-PL Beton Bornholm
9. Axel Bouquet (Fra) St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93
10. Brody McDonald (USA) Modern Adventure, all at same time

General Classification after stage three

1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 12:00:57
2. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +19s
4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +21s
5. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, +21s
6. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +25s
7. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +33s
8. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, +33s
9. Paul Wright (NZ) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling +40s
10. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos +1:53

Tim Merlier has won stage two of the Tour of Britain Men's race with a commanding sprint to the finish in Skegness, at the end of brutal wind-whipped 181.1km day.

The Soudal Quick-Step rider took the victory, beating Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) and Sam Bennett (Pinarello Q36.5) into second and third place respectively.

British rider and stage-one victor Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) remains in the lead in the general classification, after one of his main GC rivals Filippo Ganna (Netcompany Ineos) had a mechanical at a critical moment.

It was a day that saw the peloton pushed and pulled around by cruel crosswinds blowing across the fens, with the challenging conditions putting an end to an early breakaway.

The stage was effectively derailed for Netcompany Ineos when Ganna, who finished yesterday's stage just 9 seconds behind Askey, suffered a puncture with 60km to go, as a lead group of around 30 riders made a break.

Despite his Netcompany Ineos teammates falling back to help, the Italian could not catch the front group before crosswinds changed to a tailwind, putting him out of contention. Ganna has now dropped to 10th in the GC.

With just over 7km to go, Florian Vermeersch, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG – who do not have a sprinter in their ranks at this year's Tour of Britain – made a solo break and managed to open up a small lead. However, for the second day in a row the young Belgian was caught.

It was a relatively straight run-in to the finish opposite the famous pier in Skegness, with just one left-hand corner to negotiate with 500 metres to go, and it was immediately after this bend that Merlier made his move.

The 33-year-old Belgian sprinter, who took three stage wins at the recent Tour de France but is making his Tour of Britain debut this year, won by over two bike lengths, with Kooij conceding quite early, possibly hampering Irishman Bennett's finish.

"I got the feeling I was all the time boxed in, but we also know we have a little slipstream," said Merlier in the post-race interview.

"With 250 [metres] to go I decided to launch my sprint, and I think it was a good moment - it surprised a bit everybody… With the wind here, in the space of a second, something can happen."

Not only does Lewis Askey keep a firm grip on the green jersey, he also now tops the points classification. Meanwhile, Michal Schuran (United Shipping) remains the king of the mountains and 20-year-old Scotsman Elliot Rowe from Visma–Lease a Bike Development continental team leads the young rider classification.

Tour of Britain Men 2026, stage 2: Boston > Skegness, 181.1km

1. Tim Merlier (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, in 3:53:55
2. Olav Kooij (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM
3. Sam Bennett (Ire) Pinarello Q36.5
4. Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Pinarello Q36.5
5. Ethan Vernon (Gbr) NSN
6. Riley Pickrell (Can) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling
7. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling
8. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
9. Jake Stewart (Gbr) NSN
10. Brody McDonald (USA) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling, at s.t.

General Classification after stage 2

1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 7:56:25
2. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +12s
3. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +19s
4. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, +21s
5. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +21s
6. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +25s
7. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, +33s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +33s
9. Paul Wright (NZ) Modern Adventure Pro Cycling +40s
10. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos +1:53

Home rider Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) stormed up the cobbles of Michaelgate in Lincoln to take an impressive and hard-won victory on stage one of the Tour of Britain Men.

The Midlander attacked from a select group of riders that included Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos), plus Florian Vermeersch and Tim Wellens (both UAE Team Emirates-XRG), which had prised itself clear in the last 40 kilometres.

Ganna was second after a concerted chase, just two seconds back, with Wellens third.

“I’ve been pretty close quite a few times this year, like at Nationals," Askey said on the NSN Cycling website after the race. "I’ve had a couple of seconds, a couple of thirds. So to come away with a win and put my hands up in the air, I think that’s why I ride my bike. I’m so happy to be able to do that again this year.”

Having no teammates in the break had been "difficult to manage", he said, because other teams had strength in numbers.

“I knew if I got to the last time of the climb, I had been feeling really good for the last week or so, and knew I’d have the legs to be able to do a good effort and at least be close to the win," he said. "I just needed to get myself in that position. I thought it had nearly gone at the end, but yeah, I managed to have the legs to bring it back in the final.”

The 182.5km stage both started and finished in Lincoln, and included five ascents of the cobbled climb of Michaelgate in the city centre – an ascent made famous by the annual Lincoln Grand Prix.

With the finish line situated just beyond, it seemed inevitable that the Michaelgate cobbles would be instrumental in deciding the day's winner, and so it proved. A longstanding six-rider breakaway was caught with around 40km to go, just before the second pass of the climb, and as the race hit the cobbles it ignited.

Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Askey were the first to strike, dragging with them some of the best riders in the race. Ganna, Vermeersch and Wellens were all there too, plus Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) and five others, making up a group of 11.

They worked well together until the last 10km when Wellens, clearly on a good day, began attacking. The Belgian was unable to make anything stick though, and it was ultimately his countryman Vermeersch who appeared to have made the winning move, with a blistering attack two kilometres out.

But he had not counted on Askey's sheer will to win, and with his family looking on, he emptied the tanks up Michaelgate to leave Vermeersch standing and take a memorable win.

Tour of Britain Men 2026, stage 1: Lincoln > Lincoln, 182.5km

1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 4:02:44
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +2s
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at s.t.
4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +9s
5. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM
6. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, both s.t.
7. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +11s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +19s
9. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, at s.t.
10. Paul Wright (Nzl) Modern Adventure Cycling, +26s

General Classification after stage 1

1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 4:02:31
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +9s
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +11s
4. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, +20s
5. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +21s
6. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +22s
7. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +24s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +32s
9. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, at s.t.
10. Paul Wright (Nzl) Modern Adventure Cycling, +39s

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men falls late in the calendar, but in a slot that it has made its own. Riders who aren’t going to the world champs could be winding down already, and those changing teams might find themselves out of favour. But there are also riders who aren’t at the Vuelta a España who need racing miles in their legs, and others coming back from injury with a point to prove.

Add into the mix riders from development teams stepping up to the senior teams and half-a-dozen smaller teams getting their chance to mix it with WorldTour opponents, and you have a wide mix of talent and experience which can make for some interesting racing.

Not only has the Tour of Britain provided riders with racing miles ahead of the world champs in previous years, it has also helped launch the likes of Julian Alaphilippe and Mathieu van der Poel into the upper echelons of the sport.

All of which means there are lots of reasons to watch, and thanks to a last-minute deal, that can be done on the TV, as well as by the roadside. The race will be broadcast on TNT Sports as well as ITV and YouTube.

Stage 1: Lincoln > Lincoln
Wednesday, 2 September
Distance: 182.5km
Elevation: 1,393m
Terrain: Flat

The Tour of Britain rolls out from the shadow of Lincoln Cathedral for the first of five stages. Considering the Lincoln GP, the UK’s most iconic one-day race, has been running for 70 years, it’s a little surprising that this is the first time the modern Tour of Britain has visited the city.

To make up for lost time, the cathedral – which was for over 200 years the tallest building in the world – will welcome the peloton back after 130 kilometres before they complete four-and-a-half laps of a 12-kilometre circuit that includes the cobbled climb of Michaelgate the focal point of the Lincoln GP.

While the climb is only 0.3km long, averaging 11%, it’s narrow and cobbled, and could catch out an unsuspecting fast-man, who will naturally be thinking this stage is a nailed-on sprint. The climb itself won’t be hard enough to distance a WorldTour sprinter, but positioning might. They do at least have four dry runs onto and up the climb in order to nail the final ascent.

Where to watch: It has to be Michaelgate. The pressure will be on each time they go up the cobbled climb

Stage 2: Boston > Skegness
Thursday, 3 September
Distance: 180.2km
Elevation: 873m
Terrain: Flat

The peloton remain in the east of England for stage two as the sprint teams will once again be tasked with holding a break at arms length beforing reeling them in before they hit Skegness.

After leaving Boston, that gave it’s name to the US city, there are few geographical features on the route that covers the ground between Lincoln and the coast, affectionately known as the Costa del Lincs. The only thing that could disrupt a sprint finish is crosswinds hitting the peloton across the open farmland. Although that’s unlikely at this time of year DS’s in the team cars will have to keep an eye on the weather app.

The run-in to the finish is straight from the sprint textbook, with just one lefthand turn with around 500m to go (outside Tony’s Fish and Chips, if you’re peckish), and a dead-straight run to the line just passed the pier.

Pro riders are no stranger to popular holiday beach resorts, so if the local council can somehow relax the tax laws they could see an influx of riders relocating from Monaco. Skegness’s beach is much bigger, after all.

Where to watch: Anyone wanting to get some miles in can watch the riders roll out of Boston before riding 24 miles to Skegness for a paddle, ice-cream and sprint finish

Stage 3: Hull > Beverley
Friday, 4 September
Distance: 194.1km
Elevation: 1,612m
Terrain: Flat

Hull hasn't hosted a stage of the Tour of Britain since 2008, so the peloton should get an enthusiastic send off as it departs Kingston and heads east along the Humber Estuary. Hitting the North Sea, the course turns north along the oft-wind whipped coastline, passing through Withersea and Hornsea to Skipsea.

This is a long, flat stage, set-up for sprint finish, but once the route arcs back west the landscape gets lumpier, as the course wends through the Wolds. Riders face their first speed bump leaving Burton Agnes, but a more significant climb awaits between Octon and Langtoft, with the ascent followed by an exciting downhill.

After Garton-on-the-Wolds the peloton faces another 1.6km climb to Sledmere, from where the route drops into Wetwang and undulates to the bustling market town of Beverley. Here riders will do three-and-a-half laps of a 16km circuit before the final uphill haul to the finish at the racecourse, where the then-Visma rider Olav Kooij won a sprint to take his third consecutive stage win in the 2023 Tour of Britain.

Where to watch: Heard to the racecourse to witness a probable sprint finish, or to see the peloton several times, as riders jostle for position, stakeout a spot on the 16km circuit between Beverley, Walkington and Bishop Burton.

Stage 4: Helmsley > Leyburn
Saturday, 5 September
Distance: 170.3km
Elevation: 2,839m
Terrain: Hilly

Considering this stage takes in both the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the route isn’t as severe as it could be. Still, with over 2,300m of elevation, today is the race’s queen stage with four major climbs and a fair few smaller ones in between.

No sooner has the peloton left the start in Helmsley than they’re out of the moors and on their way to the Dales, via Ripon. The first major climb comes after Pateley Bridge, taking the riders up to The Coldstones Cut. After the descent to Grassington they head north where three climbs in quick succession including the highpoint of the day on Grinton Moor.

The race is almost certain to break up on this section, and if the weather comes in it’ll be tougher still. Any non-sprinters with designs on GC will know the latter half of today’s stage is their best chance of gaining time. They’ve even got a final 12km largely uphill to gain a few more seconds or just make a winning move.

Where to watch: If the sun is shining, ride up one of the major climbs to cheer them on. If it’s not, you could watch in Ripon, then nip up the A1M to the finish.

Stage 5: Earlston > Earlston
Sunday, 6 September
Distance: 156.1km
Elevation: 2,236m
Terrain: Hilly

The tour will race towards its conclusion in the Scottish Lowlands, with an exciting parcours that loops around the beautiful Borders region, starting and finishing in the market town of Earlston, which is featuring in the event for the first time. A second consecutive climbing stage, there will be plenty of points up for grabs for riders fighting for the polka-dot King of the Mountain jersey on the last day.

Leaving Earlston, the peloton will embark on route shaped like a drunken figure-eight, going east through Smailholm and passing the confluence of the rivers Tweed and Teviot at Kelso, before pedalling north to Greenlaw on Blackadder Water, the centrifugal point of the course. From Duns the real climbing begins as the route runs northwest, deeper into East Lothian’s lovely Lammermuir Hills, and crosses the neck of Whiteadder Water. Riders reach the highest point on the course at Redstone Rig, before turning south, scaling Duddy Bank and heading back towards Earlston, where the event concludes with GC position-chasing hopefuls racing around two laps of a 19km circuit.

Where to watch: For spectacular scenery and close proximity to riders exhibiting their climbing prowess, head into the Lammermuir Hills around Whiteadder Water; otherwise Earlston offers the chance to see riders three times.

Contenders

Tim Merlier (33, Bel)
Soudal Quick-Step
UCI Ranking: 35
2026 wins: 8

Three stage wins at the Tour de France put Tim Merlier at the top of the sprinting tree this summer, so expect Soudal Quick-Step to be taking on pace-setting duties on the front of the peloton over the first three days.

His Tour wins showed he is one of the best freelancers in the bunch, often winning after manoeuvring himself into the best position and then timing his sprint to perfection. Eighth at the Belgian Gravel Champs last week is his only day of racing since he missed the time-cut on stage 15 of the Tour so there is a question over his form. But then he has won a stage in every stage race he’s ridden since the 2024 Giro.

If his form is good, and he takes an early stage or two, his team will start to think about how they could keep him in the jersey all the way to the finish in Earlston. A tough ask, but not impossible.

Olav Kooij (24, Ned)
Decathlon CMA CGM
UCI ranking: 40
2026 wins: 4

Only two riders have ever won more Tour of Britain stage wins than Olav Kooij: Edvald Boasson Hagen and Sir Mark Cavendish. Kooij has won seven stages in just two editions, three in 2023 and four last year. If he were to repeat 2025’s feat again at a third time of asking, then he would hold the record outright, beating the sprinting knight.

This season has not been simple for the 24-year-old, who didn’t start his season until the end of May due to illness, but hit the ground running, with two stage wins at the Boucles de Mayenne, and a win at the Baloise Belgium Tour. Kooij then followed it up with an impressive first Tour de France for Decathlon CMA CGM, winning stage five, and being on the podium four more times, all in a team focused on the GC hopes of Paul Seixas. In a team more focused on his sprints, expect him to make hay.

Filippo Ganna (30, Ita)
Netcompany-Ineos
UCI ranking: 70
2026 wins: 5

There may not be an individual time trial at the Tour of Britain for Filippo Ganna to show himself at his best, but the Italian is more than a racer against the clock, as he showed when he won Dwars door Vlaanderen in a sprint finish in April, his biggest one-day win to date. On the tough roads of Britain, who would count him out of a win?

Intriguingly for one of Netcompany-Ineos’s biggest stars of the past decade, Ganna has never raced the Tour of Britain, but as he’s not taking part in the Vuelta a España, he needs somewhere to get the miles in before the World Championships in Canada, where he’ll be targeting the time trial rainbow bands once again. It worked for Remco Evenepoel last year, who finished second at the race a couple of weeks before he headed to Rwanda and demolished all.

Lewis Askey (25, Gbr)
NSN Cycling
UCI ranking: 121
2026 wins: 0

Surprisingly enough, the rangey Midlander will be making his debut in the Tour of Britain Men, in what is his fifth season as a WorldTour professional. A solid season so far – despite his lack of wins – suggests he might well have the kind of form that could bring him a result at the British tour.

He has had a number of podium places, including in the National Championship road race behind Fred Wright, and on the hilly sixth stage at Paris-Nice. He also managed to place fourth place on stage 17 of the Tour de France, a day that saw him sprinting home behind winner Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) – the latter a rider that Askey will face in the Tour of Britian this week.

After his silver in the National road race, Askey said how much he enjoyed racing on British roads and said he hoped to ride the Tour of Britain. More recently he pinpointed the first two stages as instrumental for the general classification. "I think the first stage will decide quite a lot of the race for me," he said.

Home hopes

If you're a British rider, the Tour of Britain is always a major stage and there will be no shortage of homegrown talent ready to strut and fret their respective hours upon it this September.

Evergreen Ben Swift was a former stage winner way back in 2007. This time round he's more likely to be playing a team captain role within his Netcompany-Ineos team.

National circuit champion Matt Bostock has been having a solid year on the domestic scene and has shown well at the Tour of Britain in the past. He'll be at home in some of the tight city centre finishes – Lincoln, for example, where he was fifth in the GP race this year.

Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling) is one of Britain's foremost sprinters and the winner of the points classification here in 2024, though yet to win a stage here. He's won four times this season and the TOB undoubtedly offers potential for a fifth.

Alongside Vernon will be teammate Lewis Askey and Jake Stewart. Midlander Askey is a key team rider but could win from a break if the chance arises, while sprinter Stewart is likely to present a tandem approach with Vernon, with the pair supporting each other in the bunch finishes.

Others to watch

Chasing on the heels of the Tour of Britain's top GC contenders will be a number of wildcards hoping to make an impression on the grippy British byways. Among the best of these will be one of France's leading stage racing lights, Kévin Vauquelin of Netcompany-Ineos. The Norman enjoyed a promising start to the season with high placings at the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice. He had high hopes for the Tour de France too, but his home race was ultimately dogged by illness and a badly-timed puncture.

Having recorded a fourth top-10 placing at Paris-Roubaix in April, Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) spent July doing the hard yards in service of his illustrious team-mate Tadej Pogačar. With the Slovenian absent, and lumpy roads that could allow him to fully exploit his big engine, the 32-year-old Classics motor might be free to seek his own stage win glory.

Likewise, France's Aurélien Paret-Peintre will have the chance to emerge from under the wing of his fêted young team-mate Paul Seixas. The Decathlon CMA CGM rider thrives in the hills and the British tour's fourth and fifth stages, roving the roads of North Yorkshire and the Scots Borders, could suit him nicely.

The full starting line-up remained mostly under wraps as we went to press. Keep an eye out for others who might take on the main GC favourites or go for stage wins.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men takes place from Wednesday 2 to Sunday 6 September, sweeping up England for the first four stages before a stage in the Scottish Borders.

The UK's biggest bike race has attracted a star-studded start list of riders hoping for some late-season success or to tune their form for the World Championships, which take place at the end of the month. The route is varied, with a sprint opportunities and many hills across the five days.

British fans will have the chance to see some of the world's best bike racing talent in their home race, which runs for five stages until Sunday. The line-up includes Tour de France stage winners Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), and multiple time trial champ Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos).

Below, Cycling Weekly has put together all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Tour of Britain Men wherever you are.

Quick guide to watching the Tour of Britain Men

• UK: ITV4, ITVX or YouTube (free), or TNT Sports / HBO Max (£25.99/mon)
• US: YouTube
• Free live streams: ITVX (UK) or YouTube (Global)
• Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPN

Can I watch the Tour of Britain Men 2026 for free?

Fans across the world can stream the Tour of Britain for free.

ITV4 and ITVX will be bringing live coverage of all six stages in the Uk, starting from 10:45am on Tuesday morning in Woodbridge, with highlights of the day also available each night on the same platforms.

It's also free to watch on YouTube across the world. In Australia, it's live and free on SBS On Demand.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations of using a VPN...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men 2026 in the UK

In the UK, the race will be shown live on ITV4 and ITVX, YouTube, and TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery's premium sports channels.

The Tour of Britain also be available online and on mobile devices on HBO Max, with a package price of £25.99 a month on a 12-month term. This also gains viewers access to WBD's full range of sports listings, including the currently ongoing Vuelta a España.

For those without a subscription, however, the race will be free and live on ITV and YouTube, so you can watch the whole race without paying for it; the YouTube coverage is also without ads.

The biggest elite men's race in the UK will be shown live on ITV4 and ITVX for the 14th time, the 14th consecutive edition on the channel. There will also be highlights on television and online.

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men 2026 in the US and Canada

For North American viewers, this year's coverage of the Tour of Britain is on YouTube, so is free.

This won't require an account or a subscription — just stream away.

2026 Tour of Britain Men stage start and finish times

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

It's always a big moment for any bike race fan when top-flight racing comes to your home country, and the Brits have been spoiled of late, first with the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and now, beginning on Wednesday in Lincoln, the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men too.

UK fans will have the chance to see some of the world's best bike racing talent in their home race, which runs for five stages until Sunday. The line-up includes Tour de France stage winners Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), world champions past and present in the form of new MTB champ Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) and multiple time trial champ Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos).

There will also be the annual appearance from a Great Britain national team, led by Ben Wiggins, and the race also offers a welcome opportunity for the numerous Continental-level teams lining up to race against the world's best.

Here is the full start list as it currently stands. The race begins on Wednesday 2 September in Lincoln, running to Sunday in the south of Scotland.

UAE Team Emirates-XRG
Mikkel Bjerg (Den, 27)
Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra, 30)
Felix Großschartner (Aut, 32)
Nils Politt (Ger, 32)
Tim Wellens (Bel, 35)
Florian Vermeersch (Bel, 27)

Decathlon CMA CGM
Olav Kooij (Ned, 24)
Cees Bol (Ned, 30)
Stan Dewulf (Bel, 29)
Robbe Ghys (Bel, 29)
Daan Hoole (Ned, 27)
Émilien Jacquelin (Fra, 24)

Netcompany-Ineos
Filippo Ganna (Ita, 30)
Kim Heiduk (Ger, 26)
Artem Shmidt (Usa, 22)
Ben Swift (Gbr, 38)
Connor Swift (Gbr, 30)
Sam Welsford (Aus, 30)

Soudal Quick-Step
Jasper Stuyven (Bel, 34)
Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned, 29)
Laurenz Rex (Bel, 26)
Tim Merlier (Bel, 33)
Ilan Van Wilder (Bel, 26)
Dylan Van Baarle (Ned, 34)

NSN Cycling
Ryan Mullen (Irl, 32)
Alessandro Pinarello (Ita, 23)
Dion Smith (Nzl, 33)
Jake Stewart (Gbr, 26)
Ethan Vernon (Gbr, 25)
Lewis Askey (Gbr, 25)

Pinarello Q36.5
Sam Bennett (Irl, 35)
Fabio Christen (Swi, 24)
Mark Donovan (Gbr, 27)
Kamil Małecki (Pol, 28)
Xandro Meurisse (Bel, 34)
Matteo Moschetti (Ita, 30)

Tudor Pro Cycling
Rick Pluimers (Ned, 25)
Matteo Trentin (Ita, 37)
Petr Kelemen (Cze, 25)
Jacob Eriksson (Swe, 26)
Yannis Voisard (Che, 28)
Robin Donzé (Che, 22)

Modern Adventure Pro Cycling
Samuel Flórez (Col, 21)
Ian López (USA, 22)
Brody McDonald (USA, 23)
Riley Pickrell (Can, 25)
Mark Stewart (Gbr, 30)
Paul Wright (Nzl, 28)

Flanders-Baloise
Siebe Deweirdt (Bel, 24)
Brem Deman (Bel, 25)
Elias Maris (Bel, 25)
Henri Vandenabeele (Bel, 26)
Dylan Vandenstorme (Bel, 23)
Ward Vanhoof (Bel, 31)

Great Britain
Ben Wiggins (Gbr, 21)
Elliot Rowe (Gbr, 20)
William Smith (Gbr, 22)
Jacob Bush (Gbr, 21)
Matthew Bostock (Gbr, 29)
Oliver Wood (Gbr, 30)

United Shipping
János Pelikán (Hun, 31)
Erik Fetter (Hun, 26)
Veljko Stojnić (Srb, 27)
Tomáš Přidal (Cze, 22)
Michal Schuran (Cze, 30)
Nikiforos Arvanitou (Gre, 23)

Tarteletto-Isorex
Gianni Marchand (Bel, 36)
Timothy Dupont (Bel, 38)
Yorben Lauryssen (Bel, 24)
Lennert Teugels (Bel, 33)
Jonah Killy (USA, 23)
Arne Santy (Bel, 25)

Bike Aid
Oliver Mattheis (Ger, 31)
Kristiāns Belohvoščiks (Lat, 24)
Lennard Sternsdorff (Ger, 21)
Victor Vidal (Fra, 27)
Karl Hall (Ger, 22)
Oscar Schempp (Ger, 21)

Lucky Sport
Hjalmar Klyver (Swe, 25)
Teodor De Luca (Swe, 20)
Frank Aron Ragilo (Est, 22)
Axel Källberg (Swe, 22)
Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg (Nor, 22)
Vilmer Ekman (Swe, 19)

Storck-MRW Bau
Matt Walls (Gbr, 28)
Edgar David Cadena (Mex, 26)
Alvaro Sagrado (Esp, 25)
Noé Ury (Lux, 22)
Robin Kull (Che, 24)
Jakob Neumann (Ger, 19)

St Michel-Preference Home-Auber 93
Lucas Bénéteau (Fra, 24)
Axel Bouquet (Fra, 20)
Thomas Champion (Fra, 27)
Théo Delacroix (Fra, 27)
Romain Cardis (Fra, 33)
Yohann Simon (Fra, 24)

APS Pro Cycling-Cadence Cyclery
Andrew Lydic (USA, 24)
Adam Lewis (Gbr, 30)
Conn McDunphy (Irl, 29)
Ronan O'Connor (Irl, 22)
Ethan Dunham (USA, 23)
Cian Keogh (Irl, 27)

BHS-PL Beton Bornholm
Marcus Sander Hansen (Den, 26)
Emil Schandorff Iwersen (Den, 24)
Asger Røjbek Sørensen (Den, 23)
Sebastian Vestergaard (Den, 20)
Boas Lysgaard (Den, 21)
Victor Johannsen (Den, 20)

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men is one of the few UK road races where an impressive turnout of international stars is all but guaranteed, and that remains the case for next week's event.

But the peloton will also feature a host of top British names, ready to take on the visitors on their home roads, British Cycling revealed on Thursday.

Among the top competitors from the host country is Ethan Vernon (NSN Cycling), a four-time winner this season and a former points jersey winner at the Tour of Britain. He has never won here stage though, despite finishing on the podium seven times. This year, he says, his main aim will be to stand on the top step.

“I'm super motivated to race my fifth Lloyds Tour of Britain off the back of a successful Commonwealth Games," he said, referencing his team pursuit gold and scratch race bronze at the recent Glasgow events.

"Winning a stage at your home race is what every rider wants," he added. "I've been second or third seven times now, so getting that first stage victory is my big target for the week. I'll have a strong team backing me, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Sprinter Vernon will have his work cut out against fast-finishing competition that will include Tour de France hat-trick winner Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), and Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM), who also won a stage in the Grand Boucle.

Also riding, and keeping it in the family, will be cousins Ben and Connor Swift, both of Netcompany-Ineos. The Yorkshire pair are regulars at the Tour of Britain, though only Ben has a stage win here and that was back in 2009, and while he has had a quiet season this year, Connor has had results on home soil already this season, netting bronze and silver in the National Championships road race and time trial respectively.

As usual, a Great Britain team will also be riding, this time led by national circuit race champion Matthew Bostock, who is likely to thrive in the technical town-centre finishes. He'll be joined by Ollie Wood, winner of the Sheffield Grand Prix and Lincoln Grand Prix this year. Riding in the national outfit too will be Ben Wiggins, Elliot Rowe, William Smith and Jacob Bush, for whom the race's Lincoln start will be a home roads affair.

“The first two stages of the race are the most special to me, as both start in my home county of Lincolnshire," he said. "Michaelgate has been a big staple of the domestic scene for years now, so I’m really interested to see how it will be raced amongst the professionals. I also think the first part of the second stage will be tricky – you can’t underestimate the Wolds.”

The race begins in Lincoln next Weds 2 September and runs until Sunday 6 September, finishing with a stage based on Earlston in the Scots Borders.

There will be live free-to-air coverage of both the men's and women's Lloyds Tours of Britain this year, race organiser British Cycling has confirmed.

Both events will be shown free of charge on the Tour of Britain YouTube channel, while the men's race, scheduled for 2-6 September, will also be broadcast live on ITV.

Highlights of both events will be available daily on ITV4 and online on ITVX, marking a return for cycling to the channel after it stopped showing the Tour de France this year.

Both Tours of Britain will also be shown live on the paid-for TNT Sports channel and its subscription platform HBO Max.

The free-to-air option comes as part of a "strategic partnership" between ITV and TNT Sports, British Cycling explained in a press release, as the organiser aims to draw its largest audiences ever to the races.

"The expanded coverage increases visibility for riders, teams host locations and partners, and further strengthens the Lloyds Tour of Britain as one of the UK’s leading sporting properties," said Darren Henry, managing director of British Cycling Ventures.

"We want to bring the UK’s premier cycling races to as many people as possible, so we are thrilled to be giving fans more ways to experience the joy of cycling whether they are in their homes, on the move or on catch-up, whenever is convenient."

This year marked the first in four decades that the Tour was not shown on free-to-air television in the UK, after ITV dropped the broadcasting rights.

The channel has committed to providing a "full broadcast package" of the Tour of Britain Men, said its director of sport Niall Sloane, as it has done for the last few editions.

"ITV Sport's impressive year of free-to-air sport continues this autumn as we broadcast the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and Men across ITV and ITVX," Sloane said.

It is unknown why the Tour of Britain Women, which starts this Wednesday in Cockermouth and ends in Royal Leamington Spa on Sunday 23 August, has not been selected for live broadcasting on ITV.

This year, tmen's race has been reduced from six to five stages, and the women's race increased from four to five, in order to establish parity.

The Tour of Britain Men is set to begin in Lincoln on 2 September, and will finish in Earlston in the Scottish Borders on 6 September.

The full route details for the five stages of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men were revealed on Wednesday by British Cycling, which gets underway on Wednesday 2 September and runs until Sunday 6 September.

The course will see some of the world's top riders racing across 910.3k (565 miles) of Britain, from Michaelgate in Lincoln, via the Yorkshire Dales to the Lammermuir Hills, just across the border in southern Scotland, tacking 8814 metres of ascent enroute.

"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,” says Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures.

Stage one, Lincoln-Lincoln, Weds 2 Sept 2026, 187.6km

This is the first year Britain’s biggest professional men’s cycle race has visited Lincoln, but riders will see plenty of the city on this 187.6km stage, which takes rolls out of town into the Lincolnshire Wolds and through Market Rasen, riding north to visit Caistor in the West Lindsey District, before wending west through Waddingham and then south to head back towards Lincoln via Ingham.

Once back in the city, with 120km already on the clock, riders will climb Michaelgate (11.3% average gradient) five times while doping crowd-pleasing laps of the famous Lincoln Grand Prix circuit, a prestigious part of the Lloyds National Road Series.

Stage two, Boston–Skegness, Thurs 3 Sept 2026, 185.2km

Day two will see the race start further south, in Boston, with riders heading north past Coningsby (WWII base of the 617 Squadron - better known as the bomb bouncing 'Dambusters') and pedalling through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, before heading east back into the Lincolnshire Wolds, where the route intersects with the stage one course at Binbrook.

The peloton will then ride east, via Louth to meet the coast and ride beside the North Sea through Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, with a climb close Langton Hill, before dropping to end in a sprint finish into Skegness.

Stage three, Hull–Beverley, Fri 4 Sept 2026, 200.6km

The tour starts north of the Humber on day three, with the peloton departing Hull and heading up England's east coast, pedalling through Withernsea and continuing up to Hornsea and Skipseam before bearing inland to Burton Agnes.

Riders face a sequence of climbs en route to Driffield before descending into Wetwang, racing four times around a 16km circuit in Beverley, with the finish line positioned atop a testing uphill final stretch to the racecourse.

Stage four, Helmsley–Leyburn, Sat 5 Sept 2026, 170.5km

Riders face 2459m of ascent during the toughest stage of the 2026 Tour, as the race moves into North Yorkshire and tackles terrain that will likely prove pivotal in determining the final General Classification standings.

From the market town of Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, the course winds through Easingwold, Boroughbridge and the cathedral city of Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park. From Pateley Bridge, a stiff climb out of Greenhow Bank (4km at 7,2% average gradient) takes riders west towards Grassington and Wharfedale before the course head north to Buckden.

Between Cray and the finishline in Leyburn, the peloton will pass through some spectacular scenery - familiar to those who spectated the 2014 Tour de France Grande Depart - as riders climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient and 12.6% max), race past Aysgarth Falls and tackle the climbs of Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient).

Stage five, Earlston–Earlston, Sun 6 September 2026, 166.4km 

On the final day the race heads into southern Scotland, to the Berwickshire town of Earlston, making its debut appearance on the Tour of Britain.

Heading east, through Smailholm towards Kelso, the route then elbows north to visit Hume, Greenlaw and Duns. Riders will then do battle during climbs in the Lammermuir Hills, passing Whiteadder Water before ascending to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank. The route then returns to Earlston, where riders will race around two circuits of a 19km lap to the final finish line.

Further details about the routes of all five stages, and more information about the race and host venues, is all available on the BC website.

Tour of Britain 2026 stage table

The 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will start in Lincoln and end in Earlston, the Scottish Borders, British Cycling confirmed this morning.

The 22nd edition of the race will be the first to take place over five days from 2 to 6 September, following on from five days of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women in late August.

It had already been announced that the race would visit North Yorkshire, but it has now been revealed that it will also head to Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders across the week.

Stage one will start and finish in Lincoln, the home of the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, the first time the modern men's Tour of Britain has visited the cathedral city, although it was a regular host of the Milk Race and has also been home to the British National Road Championships.

The next day, stage two will cross Lincolnshire from Boston to Skegness, before stage three takes place from Hull to Beverley, across East Yorkshire.

The penultimate day, Saturday 5 September, will head over the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales for a hilly test, which will surely decide who is the winner of the whole race. Stage five starts and finishes in Earlston, south of Edinburgh in the Scottish Borders.

"We are delighted to be bringing the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men to these fantastic locations later this year," Jonathan Day, the director of events for British Cycling Ventures, said in a press release. "We are bringing new hosts and stages in Lincoln, Boston and Skegness, and Leyburn, and it is fantastic to return to previous hosts of the race in Hull and Beverley, Helmsley, and the Scottish Borders.

"Taking the Tour to Lincoln for the first time, a city synonymous with its love for cycling, will be special for the opening stage of the men’s race, before the route winds its way up the east coast via North Yorkshire, before reaching the Scottish Borders in Earlston.

"On behalf of British Cycling Ventures, I would like to pay thanks to our partners across the five stages for supporting the hosting and delivery of this September’s race and enabling us to bring another memorable and action packed five days of world class racing to their communities, spreading the joy of cycling along the route, and inspiring more people to get on a bike and live healthier lives."

Next year will also see the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift come to the UK, in 2027. The men's race is set to start in Edinburgh, with the women's in Leeds.

Tour of Britain 2026 stage table

The Tour of Britain will return to Yorkshire this September, with another stage being planned to take place amid the afterglow of Britain hosting the Tour de France Grand Départ in the summer of 2027.

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has partnered with British Cycling to bring elite racing back to the county for 2026 and 2027, after Yorkshire was absent from the men’s Tour of Britain route in 2025.

The newly inked proposal will see North Yorkshire hosting a full stage of the men's Tour of Britain in 2026, with another stage planned for 2027, which will take place just a few weeks after the eagerly expected Grand Départ for the Tour de France has swept across the UK, albeit with the men’s route skirting around the county that locals like to call ‘God’s Own Country’.

In 2027, the three-stage curtain-raising ride for the 114th edition of the Tour de France will start in Scotland, leaving from Edinburgh on 2 July and heading south into northern England, passing along the western side of the country, through Carlisle, Keswick and Liverpool, before crossing into Wales and coming to an end in Cardiff on 4 July.

Due to take place almost a month later, the route of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift features plenty of Yorkshire, however, with the action starting in Leeds on 30 July and the peloton threading through Sheffield before heading south to finish in London.

The white-rose county was setting for the spectacularly successful 2014 Grand Départ, when a sun-splashed weekend saw an estimated 2.5 million cycling fans line roadsides along a route that passed through Leeds, Harrogate, Sheffield and York to see stars including Mark Cavendish and (who crashed out on the Saturday) and ultimate winner of that year’s Tour, Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali (XDS Astana).

The Tour of Britain stages have been secured with £350,000 of mayoral investment funding, while extra costs for elements including road closures and traffic management (expected to total £400,000) being split between the local authorities involved. However, organisers say each stage of the Tour of Britain can generate between £2m and £12m for the local economy of the areas it passes through.

A spokesperson from British Cycling has said that more details about venues and host locations for the upcoming Tour of Britain will be announced in the coming weeks, so watch this space.

“We are delighted to [be] agreeing this partnership with the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and bringing the Lloyds Tour of Britain to the region over the next two years," said Jonathan Day, Director of Events at British Cycling Ventures.

"We have seen some exceptional racing in North Yorkshire over the last few years, most recently with the women’s race starting at the Forestry England site of Dalby Forest in 2025. The area brings entertaining racing for the riders, exceptional backdrops for broadcast, and enthusiastic crowds across the route. We are looking forward to working with partners across 2026 and 2027.”

There were 63 men's and Women's WorldTour events in 2025, a whole range of races for exciting things to happen in. The truth is, I'm sure just like me, you don't remember most of them. If I concentrate hard enough, I can remember the Tours de France, and the ones I was at, but there are whole stage races which are a bit of a blur.

Do not worry then, for we're going to talk you through our favourite races of year, from the spectacular to the unexpected – hopefully some of these should jog your memory.

This is the penultimate piece in a series of pieces where we have compiled thoughts from across the CW staff about 2025, after our riders of the year, moments of the year, our alternative riders of the year, our bike rides of the year and our favourite places to ride full stop. Please let us know your thoughts!

Women’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – Tom Davidson, senior news and features writer

Will they, won’t they? My jaw hit the floor a number of times while watching cycling this year, but none harder than when I realised Lotte Claes and Aurela Nero were going to stay away at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. Neither rider had won a professional race before that March afternoon. Suddenly, each of them had a one-in-two chance of a WorldTour victory, and a key Classic at that.

Yes, the peloton probably miscalculated the chase; yes, there were some frustrated riders at the finish; but let that take nothing away from Arkéa B&B Hotels’ Claes, who wrote her name into legend at the line in Ninove. It would take another three and a half minutes until the group of favourites rolled in. It doesn’t happen often, but I love it when a doomed move pays off.

That race reminded me that, just when you think cycling might be getting predictable, the most dramatic, incredible things can happen.

Men's Dwars door Vlaanderen – Adam Becket, news editor

From a final group of four at Dwars door Vlaanderen in April, three in the yellow of Visma-Lease a Bike, Neilson Powless in pink somehow won. The slumped heads of Tiesj Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson and Wout van Aert said it all as they crossed the line.

No-one could blame them, really, for not understanding what had happened. After 184.2km of hard racing, in which the race-winning move had been set up around 80km from finish by Visma-Lease a Bike, who would have bet against the men in yellow? Van Aert was there, a man who has won bunch sprints of almost every kind, as well as Classics before. However, something weird happened when the Belgian opened up his sprint in Waregem. He just couldn't get up to speed. Powless, sprinting for his life, could, coming around Van Aert and into cycling immortality.

It was a reminder of how mad cycling is sometimes. It's not always predictable.

Men's junior road race at the World Championships – Hannah Bussey, tech writer

The men's junior road race at the World Championships was the biggest standout race for me. Harry Hudson made such an audacious move— got away and then just kept going. The only way that stuck is due to his 100 percent commitment to self-belief.

There is no way you can watch the last two and a half kilometers of that race without getting chills, with tears welling up, and the thought that he might actually do it and become the first British Men's Junior World Champion.

To see the rest of the GB lads still in the mix at the end also feels like a real showcase for the future generation of cyclists coming through the ranks right now.

Despite all the turmoil in the sport and cycling industry, this race was just pure joy to watch, even if it was a little tear-jerking towards the end. It's the happily-ever-after result most cyclists dream of, and it's so amazing to see someone's fairy tale come true.

Paris-Roubaix – Jamie Williams, video manager

Few races can get the heart going like a monument and this year Paris-Roubaix had everything a classic should: early attacks, crosswinds, crashes and a nail biting finale.

I was also extremely pleased to see Mathieu van der Poel come out on top, not because I don’t like Pogacar but rather because it now means he’s going to have to return next year to do it all over again, no one should win Roubaix on their debut!

Strade Bianche – Aaron Borrill, tech writer

It’s lived in the shadows of the older monuments for nearly two decades, but Strade Bianche has become one of the most beautiful races to watch, both for the physical challenge it presents and the sheer scenes it offers viewers. It’s my favourite race on the calendar.

From the glorious Tuscan hills, the sterrato or white gravel roads and epic dust left behind by the peloton or those brave enough to float off the front, there’s never a dull moment. And then you add Tadej Pogačar. It’s pure theatre.

Tour de France – James Shrubsall, senior news and features writer

This season saw me out working at Opening Weekend and at the Tour de France. As any race fan who has stood at the roadside cheering the riders on, or mingled with them around the start and finish areas knows, there's little substitute for that first person experience when it comes to connecting with a race.

Ergo, it will come as no surprise that for me the Tour was easily the most memorable race of the year for me. I wasn't in France for the entire race – only the third week, but from Mont Ventoux to Paris that week was a gift that kept on giving.

Memorable performances from double-winner Thymen Arensman, sprinter Jonathan Milan and Wout van Aert were of course underlined by a history-making GC victory from Tadej Pogacar. Once again, La Grande Boucle had delivered.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men – Meg Elliot, news and features writer

This was the first race I went to as a Cycling Weekly employee! It was, I was reliably informed, one of the most well attended the Tour had ever seen. Everyone was out in Geraint Thomas masks to welcome him home on his last professional race.

We watched the peloton form a guard of honour for the Welshman in rainy Newport before the race began, then hot footed it over to Cardiff to chat to people waiting to cheer Thomas across the line. One man I spoke to bought him dinner once after spotting him in a restaurant in Grangetown.

“To come from Maindy as a young lad and then win the Tour de France as well is incredible,” another guy told me, kids in tow.

Milan-San Remo - Matt Ischt-Barnard, ecomm and tech writer

Despite its usual ‘predictable’ finish and pointless first 250-plus kilometres, Milan-San Remo had one of the most iconic finishes the race has ever seen. Thanks yet again to one Tadej Pogačar. His fifth swing at trying to add the monument to his ever-growing list of palmarès, however, again ended in a podium but no cigar.

There is one moment that will live with me forever in this ‘Tadej’ era, though, in which Pogačar himself, Mathieu van der Poel and Filippo Ganna were clear at the top of the Cipressa and racing for the win. It gives me shivers to think about it now.

Let us not forget what Van der Poel did on this day, either, for he will now be forever known in history as the one who denied Tadej again.

The dates for the Lloyds Tours of Britain Men and Women 2026 have been announced, with both races taking place over five stages across three weeks in late August and early September next year

The men's ProTour race has been reduced from six stages to five, while the Women's WorldTour event has been increased from four to five, meaning that there is gender parity across the stages.

The 2026 Tour of Britain Women will take place from 19-23 August, moving slot from June, while the Tour of Britain Men remains in its place in the calendar, taking place 2-6 September.

Both are organised by British Cycling Events (BCE), the events arm of the sport's governing body in the UK. The women's race was won by Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) this year, while Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) won the men's race. The men's race also saw Geraint Thomas retire.

The move is billed as a "three-week cycling celebration across the country" by British Cycling.

"Aligning these two major, showpiece events within a matter of weeks will enable us to increase visibility and amplify the extraordinary buzz around each individual race, to continue to build the Lloyds Tour of Britain and engage a growing audience through the joy of cycling," Jonathan Day, BCE's managing director, said.

"Bringing an equal number of stages across the Lloyds Tour of Britain women and men’s races for the first time is a bold move we are extremely proud of and part of our strategic commitment to achieving gender parity, having already immediately increasing prize money for the women’s race last year.

"We are very excited to seeing many more people from communities across the UK taking to the roadsides in 2026 and beyond for this cycling extravaganza of world-class racing which rides past their front doors."

This year's Tour of Britain Women had its largest ever field – 19 teams and 110 riders, including 12 WorldTour squads – while the Tour of Britain Men had the most riders of the start list since the pandemic, including nine WorldTour teams.

Lizzie Deignan, the last British elite road world champion, welcomed the move.

"Throughout my career I’ve always championed women’s sport and races, so it is brilliant to see British Cycling has pushed for full parity in the number of stages at the Lloyds Tour of Britain women and men," Deignan said. "I have seen the impact the event has had in communities across the country, and the role it has for inspiring the next generation, especially young girls who want to get out and ride a bike, whether it is competitively or recreationally.

"I have seen gradual change during my career, and this is another positive step for women’s cycling. A move like this to bring the joy of cycling to more people is incredibly encouraging, and I am excited to see the world-class racing at the Tour in 2026."

The next couple of years will also see the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift come to the UK, in 2027. The men's race is set to start in Edinburgh.

What do Will Smith, Fontaines D.C., and Geraint Thomas have in common?

The trio have all played Cardiff Castle this summer, with the latter ending his career just outside its walls on Sunday afternoon, at the end of stage six of the Tour of Britain Men. Smith and the Irish band might not have had their own beer labelled for their events, this can being Mic Drop.

The rain, torrential at the start of the day, even paused for a moment as the 39-year-old crossed the line for a final time after a 19-year career. Along with thousands of fans, it was almost as if the weather was paying homage to the former Tour de France champion, two-time Olympic gold medallist, and everything else. Read out on stage, his palmarès is almost comical, given its length and breadth. There's the Tour, the Olympics, the Tours de Suisse and Romandie, Critérium du Dauphiné, Paris-Nice, National Championships, Commonwealth Games, podiums at the Giro d'Italia and Tour, and of course E3 Harelbeke.

It is not an understatement to say that he is one of the greatest Welsh sportspeople of all time, one reflected in the thousands of fans that greeted him in Cardiff on Sunday, and the presence of Wales' First Minister, Eluned Morgan. It was not overblown, it was deserved.

Amid the squeal of the disc brakes, the roar of the home crowd, the endless requests for signatures and selfies, it all finished for the Ineos Grenadiers rider where it began, on the roads of Cardiff.

It was scripted to be like this of course, the Tour of Britain organised so the race would pass Thomas's parents' house, past the Maindy velodrome where he first raced a bike, outside the castle, that symbol of Wales.

It didn't matter that he finished four minutes behind the race winner, Olav Kooij, nor did the race really matter; it was all about him.

"Thank you, that's all I can say. Diolch," Thomas managed on stage, bringing the curtain down on his professional career.

He has never been the most verbose, but it was clear that the moment had cut through, had got to him. All week, all year, the Welshman has been followed by his looming retirement, but here it was, finally happening.

The Tour of Britain, Britain's biggest bike race as it is, doesn't always attract the large crowds it deserves, but here, in the centre of Cardiff, there were almost overwhelming numbers of fans, all here to say farewell to their favourite rider.

At the start in Newport on Sunday morning, supporters were queueing up in the pouring rain to get inside the team presentation, there were people crowding round an open window into Thomas's final press conference, itching to catch a few words; it means so much.

"We watched a little montage on the bus now, and I felt myself already starting to choke up a bit" he explained pre-stage. "Macs [his son] and Sara, my wife, met us on the way in, so they were there. It was nice, but it's just so surreal. I think, like most stages this week, I've kind of forgotten that I have to do a bike race because it's almost like a celebration before the start, and then you get going, you're like, oh jeez, I've actually got that racing to do now. It’s definitely gonna be emotional."

It was emotional, with endless tributes paid to him. Thomas broke down on S4C, the Welsh broadcaster, and seemed on the verge of tears on stage at the end, but held himself back. "I'm not going to say too much because I think I'm going to break down again," he said. "Next question."

Beicio Cymru had given out over 11,000 masks of his face. "I've seen so many things in my face is a bit freaky to be honest," Thomas said. "No, I appreciate it so much."

"I think I feel really lucky," Thomas said before that final ride. "I kind of feel like I've been lucky my whole career with how things have panned out. Being in my prime for the home Olympics, the years I've had and finishing here and deciding to stop this year and and then have this weekend. The fact that the Tour of Britain's in September and I can do it as my last race is, it's all kind of aligned, it's unbelievable, really. I never expected that at all.

"It's stuff of dreams. It’s also strange that it's finishing because it's been my life since I was a junior. You're always thinking of the next race. You're always working towards something. So not to have that tomorrow morning will be strange. It’s the right time, for sure. I definitely don't regret it but it doesn't take away that it's weird."

Next, it's likely he will continue working for Ineos Grenadiers: "I’ve got a lot of knowledge as a rider, and I feel I can help the boys a lot, but there’s a lot of other stuff behind the scenes. That’s on the cards. It’s not definitely happening yet, but I’d love to continue with the team."

However, there is also a sense of liberty, as well as a bit of trepidation over what's next.

"I feel like I’ve got a lot of freedom to try other things, a few different sports, like triathlon or padel, and skiing. That freedom feels nice," Thomas explained.

"I’ll definitely still ride, I still enjoy riding my bike, I just won’t be pressing lap and doing efforts and that stuff," he continued. "I’m just going to enjoy it without the pressure and the thought of losing weight in the back of my mind. It's going to be weird, because all the routine will be gone.

"I’ve never been to prison, I don’t know what it’s like, but I guess you kind of get used to the way of every day, a certain running order. I’m guessing it could be quite like that."

Now, the celebrations will continue into the rainy Cardiff night, a "few beers with the boys" promised. Thomas has ridden off, but his achievements remain. Diolch.

It wasn't hard to work out who Tom Gloag's parents were at the finish of stage five of the Tour of Britain. Amid the mild maelstrom caused by Remco Evenepoel's victory, there was a couple screaming "TOM, TOM" at the side of the road, heard over the top of everything else.

They had a lot to shout about. Their son had just pushed Evenepoel to the end, finishing second on The Tumble, his first top-two at a bike race since his stage win at the Czech Tour last year.

It's super nice, I've had a rough period since February," the Visma-Lease a Bike rider told British Cycling after the stage. "I've not really been able to find some good shape, which is quite a while to be struggling for, near the back end of races. I've definitely lost some confidence and I could feel it already yesterday, and I was held up in a little crash so I lost a bit of time, which meant I had good legs but I wasn't competitive on GC. Already then I could feel like I was at the front end of the race again, and you race with a different confidence when you know you have the legs.

"Today, I was fortunate enough to give it a go, at one stage I thought Matty [Brennan] was going to be able to sprint for the win, but he was just slightly off the group. I was on Remco's wheel, and not strong enough to come round, but second was the best I could hope for today."

2025 has been beset by illness and injury, with the 23-year-old unable to finish the UAE Tour, Coppie e Bartali or Itzulia Basque Country in the spring. Given he has already come back from a career-threatening injury after he was hit by a car driver in 2023, it has not been easy, and therefore Saturday's result is a cause for celebration.

"If you had a quick look at my ProCyclingStats it's been a while since I've been at the front of a bike race, so I'm very chuffed with second," Gloag said.

"It was special finishing here on The Tumble, we've done it a lot at the Junior Tour of Wales, so it was an absolute pleasure being here, my parents were here too.

"It was a special day, and I've always wanted to get a result here, it's nice to be at the pointy end. It's a hard race to do well in."

His second place should set him in good stead moving forward, with Gloag hoping for more with what is left of this season.

"Things change a lot at the end of the year, but I've got Slovakia, some Italian one-dayers and then China," he explained. "I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into the end of season races."

Gloag was not the only young Brit at the front of the bike race on Saturday, with Picnic PostNL's Oscar Onley finishing third, after attempting to get away on the final climb.

"The race wasn't as hard as we expected, it all came back together before the bottom of The Tumble the last time," he said post-stage. "There was quite a strong headwind up the climb, which made it quite diffficult to break away, but I tried with [Pavel] Sivakov and a Bahrain [Victorious[ rider, but with the wind it was hard to stay away. I gave it everything I had in the sprint, but without going on the attack before... I tried."

It was windy atop The Tumble in south Wales on Saturday afternoon. Windy enough to prevent any long-range attacks from sticking, and to blow any unsecured Geraint Thomas face masks away, but not enough to disturb the nascent moustache on Remco Evenepoel's top lip, despite the breeze hitting him full in the face as he sprinted to victory.

The moustache might be barely there on the Soudal Quick-Step rider's face, but the confidence is growing once again for the Belgian, after a season of ups and downs, a familiar story by now. The win on stage five of the Tour of Britain Men was just the Olympic champion's second road race win of 2025, after Brabantse Pijl, although there have been four time trial triumphs, including at the Tour de France.

"It's been quite a search for that [his second road race win], so in the end I'm happy to take a stage win here," the 25-year-old explained post-stage. "Last year I didn't manage to win a stage so it feels good to be here with some better legs and some better results as well. I'm very happy with the stage win in the queen stage actually. I'm very satisfied with the feeling."

Evenepoel's year started slowly, after he was hit by the driver of a Belgian post van in December, not returning to racing until Brabantse Pijl, which he duly won. Time trial wins at the Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné and top fives on general classification followed, before he won stage five of the Tour de France in Caen. However, the Belgian then left that race early, on stage 14, before it was announced that he would be leaving his Soudal Quick-Step contract early for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe next year. The Tour of Britain is his first race back since that news broke, and one of his last in his current team's jersey.

The Tour of Britain fits in as Evenpoel's build-up for the World Championships and Il Lombardia, as well as a race to win in and of itself.

"I've done quite some work for the team already, for our sprinter, and also I've ridden a bit more after the stages sometimes, so I'm not here just for the racing, I'm here to improve myself, and to test myself," he said. "For the moment, it's all going well, and I feel like I'm on the right track, so that's very positive."

It is notable that Evenepoel is still trying for his current employers, despite the drawn out saga over his future. Earlier this week, he told Cycling Weekly that it's a "relief that it's out".

This win, narrow as it was, is a boost for the former world champion.

"It was difficult, the headwind was pretty strong after the last 3km, in the forest we didn't really feel the wind, but once we got over the cattle grid it was pretty windy," he said of stage five. "That made it a bit tactical in the end, we tried on the first time up the climb to go really hard from the bottom, but we felt with 3km to go that the wind was too strong to really tear things apart.

"It was only like seven to eight minutes, and everyone can push that really high power, so it was difficult to make a big difference. I quickly realised that maybe the sprint would be the best option for today, and in the end it was the right way today."

His sprint at the top of the climb might not have been against Tadej Pogačar, but it was still hard-fought, and Tom Gloag (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) were not easy opponents.

"That [his sprint] feels really good, especially with the headwind. I went from far away, from 200m, I was a bit worried that the guys would come over me, but I my sprint was strong enough to keep it to the line," Evenepoel said. "With winning the sprint today, maybe it's a bit of a shame of my mechanical yesterday because it would have been a bit different, especially in terms of GC, but in the end that's cycling, and we have to look to tomorrow and enjoy this one."

Evenepoel had a gear-issue on stage four, preventing him from taking advantage of a promising situation, which Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) won. However, after the penultimate day, Evenepoel is just two seconds off the Frenchman, and it will all come down to Cardiff on Sunday. It would be his first overall victory since the Volta ao Algarve at the beginning of 2024, so the Tour of Britain is not meaningless.

"We have to try, it's two seconds," Evenepoel said. "There's a GC win up for grabs. It's going to be really difficult, there's only one really big opportunity for that in the final. It's going to rain a lot, so it might be very tricky tomorrow. I'm not going to risk my life for it but I'm going to go for it."

The moustache will get wet on stage six, but expect Soudal Quick-Step's Olympic champion to go all in for the win; he wants to keep up the impression that he is back. Cycling is better for it.

Twenty-year-old Matthew Brennan continued his breakthrough season on Thursday, earning his 12th pro win of the year on stage three of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider’s team-mate Olav Kooij, who won the opening two stages, turned provider on day three, leading out the Brit to sprint in Ampthill.

So fast was Brennan’s acceleration that he afforded himself a second to sit up in his saddle and punch the air as he crossed the line. Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) finished second, with Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) third.

“It was always the plan,” Brennan said afterwards. “[My team] said, ‘We can’t have you going to your home race and not try and win something.’ To be given this opportunity, especially when Olav is leading, is really special and I’m really thankful for that.”

After graduating from Visma's development arm this year, Brennan has enjoyed a rapid rise through the pro ranks, winning his first WorldTour races and beating the sports best sprinters. “It’s fantastic,” he reflected on his first pro year. “This season has been pretty incredible so far, so to keep winning towards the end of the season as well has been really nice.”

Brennan’s victory takes him to second in the general classification at the Tour of Britain, behind his team-mate Kooij. Speaking to Cycling Weekly ahead of the race, the 20-year-old revealed he had GC ambitions for his debut.

“It’d be nice to get a stage win,” he said – a box he has now ticked – “and then each day we’ll kind of just assess where we are on GC. If GC looks like an option, we’ll push for that.”

“We’ll give it a try,” he added. “There’s no harm in trying, is there? We’ll just see what happens. If I’m up there, I’m up there, if I’m not, oh well.”

Thursday’s third stage of the Tour of Britain brought the last of a triptych of flat days, before the hills arrive.

Leading the GC, Visma-Lease a Bike were forced to do the lion’s share of the pulling in the peloton throughout the 122.8km stage into Bedfordshire. The Dutch squad barely allowed the breakaway as much as a minute’s lead, as four riders, including Great Britain’s Ben Chilton, ploughed ahead up the road.

An acceleration by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in the peloton with around 10km to go eventually put paid to the breakaway’s foray. The lead-out trains then assembled, with Kooij swapping duties with Brennan in the finale.

“We had a plan to turn it around for today, and I was happy to do my job and deliver him in a good way,” Kooij said. “We knew in the first three stages we would definitely have a good shot. The rest of the week is a bit harder, so we will see.”

The six-day race continues on Thursday with its first uphill finish in Burton Dassett Country Park. “I think there’s going to be fireworks tomorrow,” stage winner Brennan smiled.

Results

Tour of Britain stage three: Milton Keynes > Ampthill (122.8km)

1. Matthew Brennan (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 2:35:45
2. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
3. Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)
4. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel-Premier Tech
5. Milan Menten (Bel) Lotto
6. Tim Torn Teutenberg (Bel) Lidl-Trek
7. Matevž Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
8. Tom Crabbe (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise
9. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
10. Marc Brustenga (Esp) Equipo Kern Pharma, all at same time

General classification after stage three

1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 9:48:40
2. Matthew Brennan (GBr) Visma-Lease a Bike, +10s
3. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +14s
4. Tom Crabbe (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise
5. Mats Wenzel (Lux) Equipo Kern Pharma, both at same time
6. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Israel-Premier Tech, +16s
7. Sam Watson (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
8. Andreas Stokbro (Den) Unibet Tietema Rockets, +17s
9. Milan Lanhove (Bel) Team Flanders-Baloise, at same time
10. Robin Froidevaux (Sui) Tudor Pro Cycling, +18s

Almost one month after the announcement, Remco Evenepoel has spoken publicly about his transfer to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, saying it’s “probably a relief” for the teams the news is out.

The Belgian will leave Soudal Quick-Step after seven years at the end of this season and join the German squad, it was revealed at the start of August. The transfer means his current contract will end early, by mutual agreement, having originally been signed until the end of 2026.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly and journalist Daniel Benson on Wednesday at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, Evenepoel said he had prepared himself for opinions about the move.

“I think it was just the time that both of the teams decided to come out with the news and I just had to accept it,” he said of the announcement, which came after the Tour de France. “In the end, it's how it goes. I said it already to the Belgian press yesterday: everybody has their opinions, and I was ready for both of them. I think it's probably for both a relief that it's out.”

In an interview with Sporza on Tuesday, the 25-year-old said he felt a change might be “good for both parties”.

“It's clear that Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe is really moving towards the Grand Tours, and here they're focusing a bit more on the Classics,” he said.

“For me, at this moment, the most important [thing] is to keep going and give the best version of myself until my last race for Soudal Quick-Step,” Evenepoel added on Wednesday.

Speculation around the double Olympic champion’s future grew at July’s Tour de France, which he abandoned on stage 14, citing a lack of form following early-season injuries.

Since the race, he said, he had a “good reset” before returning to training. “Honestly, for the moment, I feel pretty relaxed and fresh in the body,” he said.

“I’m actually happy to be back in competition. I think this year here in the Tour of Britain, the course is pretty hard, so it’s a perfect race to get back into competition and towards the Worlds.”

The defending time trial world champion, and former title winner in the road race, Evenepoel will target both events later this month at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda. “I think I have two nice opportunities,” he said, “so I hope to be in my best shape as possible, and then try to aim for the highest.”

The Belgian team that will support Evenepoel at the championships has not yet been announced, although Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) will not be present, having ruled himself out of selection.

“There are of course guys who didn’t want to join to go to Rwanda,” Evenepoel said, referencing no names in particular, “but I think the team we have now is the best possible.

“Every rider should be making the decision himself, and he has his reasons for that. The team we have now are all guys who were also on my list, let’s say, so I think it’s for the moment the best team that we could get.”

“We’ll just give it our best shot and try to go for it,” he added.

Following the World Championships, Evenepoel's final race with Soudal Quick-Step is expected to be Il Lombardia on 11 October. He finished runner-up to Tadej Pogačar in the season's final Monument last year.

Olav Kooij propelled himself to a second stage victory in a row on stage two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in Stowmarket.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider launched off the wheel of Sam Watson (Ineos Grenandiers) on the outside of the final corner and across the finish line, the British champion pushing hard behind him in a bunch sprint finish, although he was pipped at the line by Tom Crabbe (Flanders-Baloise).

Kooij maintains his hold on the general classification, with Crabbe up to second.

The race, separated by a dominant breakaway almost from the start, was made harder by rapidly worsening weather conditions, turning the course from dry to wet on this looping course from Stowmarket town centre, though race leaders Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto) and teammates Andreas Stokbro and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets) held onto the front of the race until the peloton began its push to the finish.

"The race suits me quite well I guess," Kooij said coolly in the aftermath of his second win in the Tour of Britain.

"Compared to yesterday, we used a few more guys to catch the break so I was a bit more on my own together with Matthew [Brennan]. I found my own way to the right wheel and there was also enough space for me to go, so when I had space to go at 200, I went and I was the fastest."

"It's another stage win after some hard work from the team, yeah, really happy with that."

How it happened

The second stage of the Tour of Britain Men’s race took a looping route from Stowmarket town centre and through the Dedham Vale National Landscape nature reserve on its first visit to the Mid-Suffolk area. A flat route, involving only 1,075m of ascent, the race was set to explode in a bunch sprint in the final meters of the course.

A breakaway group of six riders was first established at 160 kilometres to go, Frenchman Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto) leading the pack with Andreas Stokbro (Unibet Tietema Rockets), though the group quickly fractured as Brits Ben Wiggins (Hagens Berman Jayco) and Josh Charlton (Great Britain) crashed after three kilometres, Charlton seeking medical help after rejoining the back of the peloton.

Come the first sprint, the break group was firmly established, with the two previous leaders flanked by Rafael Reis (Anicolor-Tien 21) and Hartthijs de Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets)

The leading group pushed into a headwind, allowing the peloton to maintain a steady minute gap from the lead, but as the rain began to set in with 100 kilometres to go, the distance between the peloton and the break began to fall, too.

The peloton began to readjust, with Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) in his gold helmet moved to the front of the peloton as the front of the race was disrupted by a flat tyre for Stokbro.

Just outside 50 kilometres to go, Picnic PostNL pushed to the front of the peloton in protection of their rider, Oscar Onley, fighting for the front position.

The heavy rain kicked up on the rear wheels of the peloton, disc brakes squealing round bends.

At 20km to go, Semer Hill rose out of the Suffolk countryside, at a gradient of 7-8% over half a mile. The breakaway group crested the hill before the pursuing peloton, with Stokbro taking the maximum four points, followed by de Vries, Veistroffer and Reis.

The messy peloton here began to reassemble once more, with Visma-Lease a Bike pulling the group into an arrow, and catching Reis, the break beginning to fracture ahead.

A second successive hill came 10 kilometres later, halfway back to Stowmarket. Here, Tord Gudmestad’s (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) hopes for a sprint finish were dashed as he dropped to the back of the race with a mechanical issue. Another last minute crash further distrupted the race favourites, with Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL) caught in a tumble inside 3 kilometres to the finish.

The peloton rearranged in preparation for the bunch sprint, Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers), then Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Bahrain-Victorious vying for the front of the race. The group strung out, and Kooij pushed ahead of his competitors, crossing the line on his second successive win of the Tour so far.

Results

Tour of Britain 2025 stage one: Stowmarket > Stowmarket (169.3km)

1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 3:44:14
2. Tom Crabbe (Bel) Flanders-Baloise
3. Sam Watson (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Matevž Govekar (Slo) Bahrain-Victorious
5. Rory Townsend (Ire) Q36.5 Pro Cycling
6. Marc Brustenga (Esp) Equipo Kern Pharma
7. Luke Lamperti (USA) Soudal Quick-Step
8. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling
9. Noa Isidore (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
10. Davide Bombi (Bel) Unibet Tietema Rockets, all at same time

General Classification after stage two

1. Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 7:12:55
2. Tom Crabbe (Bel) Flanders-Baloise, +14s
3. Sam Watson (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, +16
4. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) IPT, +16s
5. Andreas Stokbro (Den) Unibet Tietema Rockets, +17s
6. Milan Lanhove (Bel) Flanders-Baloise, +17s
7. Josh Golliker (GBr) Great Britain, +18s
8. Baptiste Veistroffer (Fra) Lotto, +18s
9. Alberto Dainese (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +20s
10. Rory Townsend (Ire) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, +20s

The podium announcer raises his voice as he reads out Oscar Onley’s name before stage two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men. The Picnic PostNL rider smiles and waves, and in front of him, the crowds roar back. It’s the loudest noise they’ve made all morning in Stowmarket, pitched under the rain beside the town’s cinema. The reception, Onley knows, is likely to become more regular for him.

After his performance at the Tour de France this July, where he finished fourth as the best-placed Brit, often holding pace with Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, the 22-year-old has noticed his celebrity grow. No longer is he just a promising young climber, now he’s a bonafide GC contender.

“I kind of realised what I did only a few weeks ago, really,” he tells Cycling Weekly. “I was just out training and realised. I’m really satisfied with how the Tour went. It was beyond anything I expected, so I’ve got to be happy with how it went.”

The Scot's life since has been “pretty normal”, he says. One of the big differences he’s noticed, though, is that he’s getting stopped more in the street by cycling fans.

“It’s definitely more interesting,” he smiles. “A lot more people recognise me now, just out and about, when I’m in Girona or Andorra. Obviously they’re quite big cycling areas, but it’s been nice and something I didn’t really expect to happen.

“When I was in the Tour, I was kind of in that bubble in there. You don’t really appreciate everyone watching and how much attention the race gets.”

As he warmed down after stage one of the Tour of Britain in Southwold, two children in yellow Tour de France jerseys nervously approached Onley to say hello. Recently, he recalls, a fan recognised him outside an ice cream parlour. “That was one of the more awkward photos,” he laughs, “when I was standing there with three scoops of ice cream.”

This week’s Tour of Britain is a form builder for Onley, who will race for Great Britain at the UCI World Championships in Rwanda at the end of this month.

Runner-up at the stage race last year, he’s hoping to be “up there” in the general classification this time round, too.

“I just want to go out there, have fun, and try and race aggressively when I can,” he says. “Obviously, in the Tour [de France] you’re not really in control of what happens during the stages. I’d like to come here this week and be a little bit more in control, and be able to be more of an animator in the race.”

The six-day Tour of Britain will conclude on Sunday in Cardiff. The race is available to watch for free in the UK on ITV4, ITVX and YouTube. It is also being broadcast on TNT Sports.

Geraint Thomas has lived his long pro cycling career in an understated manner that is almost entirely at odds with the glory and fame he has enjoyed over the course of its 20-odd years.

But it looks like he will more than make up for that in retirement. Not content with a Lloyds Tour of Britain Men stage that is pretty much dedicated to celebrating his career and a huge party afterwards, not to mention custom bikes and jerseys, the Welshman has also launched a raffle with an extensive prize list, including a Pinarello F7 bike fitted with Shimano Ultegra Di2 and worth £7,000 ($9,400).

It's worth pointing out, of course, that the 2018 Tour de France winner has had all this arranged for him, rather than by him. And in any case, who would begrudge this popular rider a career celebration?

In the case of the raffle, it's also for a good cause.

Thomas is currently riding the Tour of Britain – set to be his final pro race – and the 'Final Race Raffle' is being run by the Geraint Thomas Cycling Trust (GTCT) to mark the occasion. The Trust will use proceeds to help get more children riding bikes.

Tickets cost £5 each, and the prize list includes that Pinarello F7 as the top attraction, while runners-up could win:
- two pairs of signed SunGod cycling glasses
- a pair of Quoc shoes (one of only two pairs ever made)
- a signed Kask helmet in Ineos livery
- a signed Ineos Grenadiers bundle

The raffle will end at 23:55 on Monday September 8 (or when the last ticket is sold) and the draw made the following day. Tickets can be bought online here.

The GTCT says its aim is to get 5,000 kids riding bikes by 2028. It gave out its first grant in 2022 and has so far helped 32 community groups and individuals across England and Wales.

The Tour of Britain Men finishes on Sunday, with a stage from the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport to Thomas's home city of Cardiff, which will take in the Maindy Velodrome where he began racing as a youngster. Cardiff will also host a party for 4,000 people

“It will be an amazing way to finish," he said. "It certainly feels like the right time."

He’s been the breakthrough rider of the season. Matthew Brennan may only have just turned 20, but already in his first pro season with Visma-Lease a Bike, he’s claimed 11 elite wins, beating experienced WorldTour fields and some of the sport's best sprinters. Now he’s chasing another victory: his home stage race in the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.

On a blustery afternoon by the Suffolk coast, the Brit led out team-mate Olav Kooij to claim stage one on Tuesday. His opportunities, he says, will come, as he plots out ambitions for the overall win on his race debut.

“It’d be nice to get a stage win, and then each day we’ll kind of just assess where we are on GC,” Brennan told Cycling Weekly. “If GC looks like an option, we’ll push for that.”

This June, the Visma-Lease a Bike rider earned a career-first stage race victory at the Tour of Norway, a four-day event where he won two stages, and twice finished second. The success came after a blistering start to the year, in which he won four races in a row, including a maiden WorldTour victory at the Volta a Catalunya.

Brennan arrives at the Tour of Britain from the Lidl Deutschland Tour, where he won two stages, outsprinting Tour de France green jersey winner Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) both times.

“It’s been a lot to take in,” the 20-year-old said of his season so far, “but it’s been really positive and it’s been really well managed by the team. They’ve done a really good job to make sure that I’m not pressured and that I’m in an environment [where] I can be really well supported in achieving my goals.”

What’s he expecting from his first Tour of Britain? “It’s going to be interesting,” he said. “The roads are a little bit different to in Europe – they’re a little bit narrower, a little bit more technical. Having grown up here, it’ll be good to have the knowledge of how to race on the UK roads, but I think it’s going to be fun, fast and exciting.”

That knowledge, he hopes, might give him an edge in the GC. Four of the race’s six stages have flat finishes that suit Brennan, though the punchier days – including the 5km climb to The Tumble on stage five – don’t put him off.

“We’ll give it a try. There’s no harm in trying, is there?” he said about his GC bid. “We’ll just see what happens. If I’m up there, I’m up there, if I’m not, oh well.”

Geraint Thomas started this year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men on Tuesday for what will be his last ever professional race with Ineos Grenadiers. Fittingly for a Welshman’s swan song, the race will finish where Thomas’ cycling started, in Cardiff, Wales.

The bike every person from Wales alive must be hoping he can ride home to one final victory after a decorated 17-year career, is a custom-painted version of his trusty Pinarello Dogma.

Running his usual Shimano Dura Ace Di2 groupset, with matching C60 deep section carbon wheels, shod in ultra-light Continental GP5000 TT rubber, he’s hoping Suffolk County Council have fixed the potholes around Woodbridge where the race departs from.

His gearing is pretty conventional, with no need for a compact chainset for the stages around Suffolk in the coming days, which are pan-flat and fast.

His familiar Moist cockpit is enhanced with white bar tape, set off by metallic gold paint, which presumably he’s not worried about getting too dirty before he arrives in Cardiff, aboard this very special Welsh Dragon-adorned Dogma. The saddle is a Prologo Nago R4, with carbon rails.

Whether you hail from Wales or not, the paint is pretty spectacular, featuring a matte dark green base with red and gold gloss details, set against a stunning white backdrop. The paint scheme appears production-ready, featuring gold details such as the ‘4nm’ and ‘5nm’ instructional decals on both the saddle clamp and rail hardware, which are likely unnecessary for professional mechanics who have been working on this bike all season. Perhaps there will be a limited release for the public, depending on how the race concludes.

The top tube features highlights of Thomas’ career, including, of course, his 2018 Tour de France victory. It matches well with his special edition Ineos kit for this week, which has been specially designed to pay tribute to the 39-year-old.

For a man who has had some of his biggest successes on Pinarellos through his 15 years with Team Sky then Ineos, the final race bike is a fitting present.

For a man who had only slept for five hours, Geraint Thomas cut a relaxed figure at the start of his last professional race, the Tour of Britain Men.

The Ineos Grenadiers rider, victim of a delayed flight, touched down in Stansted Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning. He arrived to the start of stage one in Woodbridge smiling, flanked by his team-mates, and cheered by the crowds, who gathered to wave off the Welshman’s 19-year-career.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” Thomas said ahead of the six-day race. “I wasn't sure if I was going to get here yesterday, with the flights and stuff, but happy to be here now. I'm buzzing.”

The problem stemmed from a fault with the plane, he explained. “And then the storm came in, so the other plane to take us couldn't get in, and there were flights being cancelled all over the place,” he said. “I was thinking, ‘Uff, [it] could be tight here.’ But luckily, the flight finally went around midnight, I think, so I went to bed at two. [I got] five hours or so [sleep]. So it could be worse. It's not so bad.”

Predictably, Thomas was the most in demand of all the riders at the team presentation. His arrival on the podium triggered roars from the fans, a number of whom waved large cardboard cut-outs of the Ineos Grenadiers rider’s head.

After signing on, Thomas returned to a welcoming mob at his team bus, where he posed for photos, signed a fan’s cuddly toy, and high-fived a toddler. He was among the last to make it to the start line.

“The main thing is enjoying it, really making the most of it,” he said. “Obviously, we've got a strong team here, so I’ll do my bit for the boys. I'm not really in the shape to win myself, but we've got some good guys here to perform.”

This week’s Tour of Britain is the Welshman’s 10th, in a career that has counted two Olympic gold medals and a Tour de France yellow jersey. To commemorate his two decades in the peloton, Ineos Grenadiers are wearing custom-designed Welsh jerseys at the race, while Thomas is riding a specially painted bike, with a gold dragon design across the frame.

“It's a bit mad, actually, the amount of effort the team's gone into with the jersey and the bikes and stuff, but obviously with the organisers as well, making their finishing Cardiff. It's going to be a special week,” Thomas said.

Waiting for this final race, he added, has been like being a child when “Christmas seems so far away”.

“It's certainly been a year of lasts, really, but now the last again, a bit more significant,” he said. “Suddenly it's here: the last week of racing. I'm going to try and enjoy it.”

After an opening pair of stages in Suffolk, the Tour of Britain Men will travel west to its conclusion in Cardiff on Sunday, where a homecoming stage is planned for Thomas. Afterwards, he will attend a farewell party with 4,000 fans at the city's castle.

Asked how he feels about retiring, the 39-year-old said: “It feels like the right time, so I'm happy I'm finishing, but it's going to be strange.”

Geraint Thomas will mark the end of his professional cycling career with a public party in Cardiff Castle this Sunday, after the final stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men finishes in his hometown.

‘I couldn’t finish my career without a proper goodbye could I?’ The Tour de France winner teased in a social media video this week. “I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way with a free event in Cardiff Castle after the Tour of Britain podium."

The final stage of the Tour of Britain will pay homage to the Welshman, passing through some of the early landmarks of the rider's life: first past Maindy Velodrome, where Thomas first learnt to ride 30 years ago, then 100 meters from his parent's house and past the pub where the now 39-year old enjoyed his first (legal) pint.

For his last professional race, Thomas and his team will ride in a custom red-dragon jersey, the names of the people who have supported him through his career filling the mythic animal, with each of the years he's raced lining the spine of the shirt. On the back, Thomas stands on the top of a podium in first in a multi-coloured line drawing sketched by his son, Macs (Macs raises his stick-arms up next to his dad in second).

Sunday's stage will finish just short of the party venue, the end of the race, and the career of one of Wales' favourite athletes, another chapter in Cardiff Castle's long history. Thomas and his hopefully 4,000-strong crowd will join Roman legions, Norman conquerors, Victorian designers and Tom Jones fans in the ranks of those who have partied in the castle's famous grounds.

But what will happen on the day for the rider who has his own track record for going big post-race (see: shoes lost in freezers and the "banana incident" that left a hotel room covered in fruit) - even Thomas doesn't know.

"It's being organised as a bit of a surprise for me as well so I'm in the dark as much as you guys right now,” Thomas continued.

“It will be an amazing way to finish. It certainly feels like the right time."

The event is now sold out, but you can join the waiting list for tickets here.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men takes place from Sunday 2 to Sunday 7 September, sweeping across England for the first four stages before two stages in Wales.

The UK's biggest bike race has attracted a star-studded start list of riders hoping for some late-season success or to tune their form for the World Championships, which take place at the end of the month. The route is varied, with a few sprint stages followed by some hillier affairs, especially on stage five, which finishes on The Tumble.

It is also the last opportunity to watch Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), as the Welshman is set to retire at the end of the year. Other big names to watch out for include Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL).

Below, Cycling Weekly has put together all the key information on broadcasters and live streams so you can watch the Tour of Britain Men wherever you are.

Quick guide to watching the Tour of Britain Men

• UK: ITV4, ITVX or YouTube (free), or TNT Sports / Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)
• US: ESPN3($29.99/mon)
• Free live streams: ITVX or YouTube (United Kingdom)
• Anywhere: Watch your local stream from anywhere with NordVPN

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men 2025 in the UK

In the UK, the race will be shown live on ITV4 and ITVX, YouTube, and TNT Sports, Warner Bros. Discovery's premium sports channels.

The Tour of Britain also be available online and on mobile devices on Discovery+, with a package price of £30.99 a month. This also gains viewers access to Warner Bros. Discovery's full range of sports listings.

For those without a subscription, however, the race will be free and live on ITV and YouTube, so you can watch the whole race without paying for it; the YouTube coverage is also without ads.

The biggest elite men's race in the UK will be shown live on ITV4 and ITVX for the 13th time, the 13th consecutive edition on the channel. There will also be highlights on television and online.

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men 2025 in the US and Canada

For North American viewers, this year's coverage of the Tour of Britain is on HBO Max.

HBO Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery – the same company that runs TNT Sports and Discovery+ in the UK – and plans for a package that include the cycling start from $16.99 per month.

Can I watch the Tour of Britain Men 2025 for free?

Fans across the world from Australia to northern Europe will be happy to learn that there are free streams of the Tour of Britain Men, thanks to the host broadcaster in the UK.

ITV4 and ITVX will be bringing live coverage of all six stages, starting from 10:45am on Tuesday morning in Woodbridge, with highlights of the day also available each night on the same platforms.

It's also free to watch on YouTube in the UK.

Coverage is geo-restricted, so if you're not in any of these countries right now, and these channels are your usual port of call, you'll need a VPN to get your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

How to watch the Tour of Britain Men while abroad

Most streaming platforms have geo-restrictions these days, which means they only work in certain countries. But being locked out of the races is a thing of the past thanks to a VPN.

A Virtual Private Network is a piece of internet security software that can alter your device's location, so you can unblock your usual streaming services, even when you're abroad.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations of using a VPN...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

2025 Tour of Britain Men stage start and finish times

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men is by some distance the biggest bike race in the UK for male cyclists and is well respected on the world stage too. As such, it is always able to attract a field with at least a smattering of big-name riders, with many warming up for the World Championships.

This year does not buck that trend; in fact, with Geraint Thomas riding his last ever pro race, his presence alone is likely to bring out huge numbers of fans to the roadside. But there is also double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, former world champ Julian Alaphilippe and more. You can discover the whole start list here, as well as our guide to the race route.

Ahead of the race beginning on Tuesday, 2 September in East Suffolk, we take a look at the riders to watch this week.

Geraint Thomas

Ineos Grenadiers, GBr, 39
Previous ToB starts: 9

It will not be news to many British bike racing fans that Geraint Thomas has had a long (and illustrious) career. But what might raise eyebrows is the fact that he first rode the Tour of Britain a full 20 years ago, back in 2005.

Aged just 19 at that point, he would have scarcely been able to imagine the career that lay ahead, complete with Olympic golds and a Tour de France victory.

Now 39, Thomas can still turn in a handy ride, but is more likely to be riding in service of a teammate for this edition, which will nevertheless honour his career on the final stage, with a start at the velodrome named after him in Newport and a finish in his home city of Cardiff.

That day will mark his final race as a pro and Cardiff will effectively see him retire. The dry eyes will be in the minority that day.

Remco Evenepoel

Soudal Quick-Step, Bel, 25
Previous ToB starts: 1

In his first ToB participation last year Remco Evenepoel was one of the most feted riders on the start list. All eyes were on him as he suffered through the British weather to finish a disappointed 28th on GC and without a sniff of success in his post Olympic hangover.

Once again he is likely to be one of the most anticipated riders at the British tour; less might be expected of him this year though, given his season so far has been far from the glory-fest of summer 2024, where he was third at the Tour de France and scored an Olympic double.

However, the Belgian will still theoretically be one of the strongest riders, and having pulled out of the Tour will be keen to get some preparation in for the Kigali Worlds at the end of September.

It will also likely be one of the final times he races in a Soudal Quick-Step jersey, before departing for Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe next season.

Oscar Onley

Picnic PostNL, GBr, 22
Previous ToB starts: 2

How else do you mark fourth place at the Tour de France? That’s right, by racing across England and Wales at the Tour of Britain. Oscar Onley became just the second Scot to finish in the top five overall at the Tour last month, after Philippa York, and will surely be greeted by an appreciative public over the six days of this race.

However, he won’t just be here on some kind of parade, as the man from Kelso finished second last year behind Stevie Williams, and could very well put in that kind of performance again this year, especially with The Tumble coming into play on stage five.

Onley is yet to win a professional stage race overall, so this could very well be his chance, even if he will be well-marked now that the peloton knows he can keep up with Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. The home favourite.

Julian Alaphilippe

Tudor Pro Cycling, Fra, 33
Previous ToB starts: 3

The French puncheur returns to the race he once won – back in 2018, when he took a stage win in Bristol and two second places on his way to overall victory.

He also rode in 2021 (he was third overall) and he came back last year too, taking a second place on the hilly stage two, behind eventual winner Stevie Williams.

This year, with new team Tudor Pro Cycling, Alaphilippe says he has "rediscovered the joy of racing" that always seemed to mark him out in his best years.

He has been relatively quiet this year, but in the low-pressure environment of the Tour of Britain – and one that he knows well – perhaps we will see him show that spark again, he is after all, only 33. A stage win is certainly not beyond his reach, with The Tumble finish on the penultimate day likely to offer a potential opportunity.

Olav Kooij

Visma-Lease a Bike, Ned, 23
Previous ToB starts: 1

Olav Kooij is a sprinter, so you would expect him to be counted out of a list of overall contenders for the Tour of Britain. Last time he was at the race, however, he won half the stages – four of eight back then. He might still have finished 48th overall, but on that kind of record, he can’t be counted against.

There will be at least three sprint stages on the road from Suffolk to Cardiff, and expect Kooij to be in the conversation for every single one of them. The 23-year-old has won six times this season, including twice at the Giro d’Italia, and has the speed and the nous to dominate at a race of the Tour of Britain’s level. He’s expected to leave Visma-Lease a Bike for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at the end of the year, so think of this as a last hurrah for Kooij at the Dutch team, on roads where he has been successful before.

Tom Donnenwirth

Groupama-FDJ, Fra, 27
Previous ToB starts: 1

A late bloomer, the not-very-French-sounding Tom Donnenwirth joined the WorldTour with Groupama-FDJ this season, aged 27. His signing wouldn’t have been wholly based on his performances at last year’s Tour of Britain, when he was racing for Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Development, but it won’t have hurt that he finished eighth overall.

The man from Aurillac has history at this race, then, and is also in form, taking his first ever professional victory at the Tour de l’Ain in early August, leading home his teammate David Gaudu and Andrea Vendrame of Decathlon in a small bunch sprint. Perhaps Donnenwirth is a Tour of Britain specialist - this year will improve on a small sample size so far.

Other than the Tour de l’Ain, though, this year hasn’t been a barnstorming step up, with top fives at the Muscat Classic and a stage of the Route d’Occitanie the only other notable results.

Others to watch

Tao Geoghegan Hart | Lidl-Trek | GBr | 30
Previous ToB starts: 4
One of two British Grand Tour winners on the start line, alongside Geraint Thomas, Tao Geoghegan Hart hasn’t ridden the Tour of Britain since Team Sky existed. Similar to Thomas, it would be a surprise if the Londoner challenged for the overall, but his climbing skills are well known.

Mark Donovan | Q36.5 Pro Cycling | GBr |26
Previous ToB starts: 4
Fourth last year at the Tour of Britain, Mark Donovan returns to try and go at least one better. He has finished in the top 10 three times, so is a safe bet to do so again in 2025. The man from the Lake District hasn’t won a race this year, but did finish second at Coppi e Bartali.

Andrea Vendrame | Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale | Ita | 31
Previous ToB starts: 0
Andrea Vendrame has never raced the Tour of Britain before, but he is a two-time Giro d’Italia stage winner, so has the ability to perform at the highest level. The Italian won a stage of Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year, out-sprinting Tom Pidcock in Colfiorito, and he is one to watch on stage four in Warwickshire.

Fred Wright | Bahrain Victorious | GBr | 26
Previous ToB starts: 1

A late announcement for the Tour of Britain, the former British national champion comes to the Tour of Britain after fourth place at the Renewi Tour, a not dissimilar race across Belgium, and is looking to test his late-season legs on home roads.

British riders to watch

As the only British WorldTour team, Ineos Grenadiers come replete with British talent, beyond Geraint Thomas. There is national champion Sam Watson, who will be seeking to replicate the form he had in Wales in June, as he comes off the back of a first Tour de France. He was a late replacement in the eight-man squad in France for Ben Swift, who will be making his 11th appearance at the Tour of Britain, but has only won a stage once.

The Great Britain squad is replete with up-and-coming talent, including Ben Wiggins and Joshua Golliker, both of whom finished on the podium of the under-23 race at the National Championships in June. Josh Charlton will also ride, primarily a track cyclist, but using the ToB as an opportunity to see how he goes on the road. Matt Bostock, an ever-present rider at domestic road races and crits will relish the chance to sprint against WorldTour opposition. Harrison Wood, previously of Cofidis, now rides for Portuguese team Anicolor-Tien21, and will hope to impress at his home race.

Matthew Brennan of Visma-Lease a Bike is probably the best British rider this year, and could add to his 11 pro wins this season in his own country.

After bisecting the UK top to bottom last year, the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men switches tack for 2025 for a six-stage crossways parcours, running from Tuesday, 2 to Sunday, 7 September.

In what is the second edition of the race since British Cycling took over its organisation from Sweetspot, the UCI 2.Pro-ranked race takes riders from Woodbridge in Suffolk to a Welsh finish.

A key part of the sixth and final stage will be honouring Geraint Thomas on what will be the final day's racing of his career. Starting outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport, the stage will finish in his birthplace of Cardiff, after passing the Maindy Velodrome where the Welshman cut his teeth.

It's broadly a race of two halves, with the initial three stages largely flat (though not without the odd classified climb), and the final three becoming markedly more hilly. That applies especially to stage five, which will see riders tackle a summit finish on the infamous climb of The Tumble.

Proceedings begin with two stages in Suffolk before heading west to central England, then the West Midlands, and finally Wales for the last two stages.

Once again the race has attracted some of the best riders in the world, with Remco Evenepoel in particular making headlines, as he lines up for what will be one of his final rides in Soudal Quick-Step colours. Fellow Grand Tour winner Geraint Thomas is there too, of course, as well as four-time ToB stage winner Olav Kooij (Visma Lease-a-bike).

Read the full start list for the 2025 race, from Matthew Brennan to Oscar Onley.

Tour of Britain 2025 stage table

Tour of Britain 2025 stage-by-stage guide

Stage one
Tuesday, 2 September
Woodbridge > Southwold (161.4km)
Start: 11:00am
Finish: 3:05pm

This year's race begins where last year's left off, in East Suffolk, and marks the first time since 2012 that the Tour of Britain Men has started in the area.

The stage will begin in the picturesque riverside town of Woodbridge, not far north of Ipswich, and make its way north to finish at Southwold on the coast.

This part of the world has grown used to welcoming some of the UK's biggest bike races, with the Women's Tour – which has now become the Tour of Britain Women – often frequenting the area.

The 100-mile stage darts east, west, north and south, out to the coast to Aldeburgh and Thorpeness and then back inland as it winds its way towards the Southwold finish.

East Anglia does not have a reputation for being hilly, and that is borne out in the first two stages. This first one features only 1,144m of ascent in 100 miles as it winds its way up through Suffolk. There are no classified climbs, but there is an intermediate sprint at Halesworth after 125km.

That should get the legs of the fast finishers warmed up for a near-inevitable bunch finish in Southwold 40km later, after they have first looped north through the market towns of Bungay and Beccles.

The flat finish will see the bunch hang a 90-degree right-turn as they hit the sea front, with a straight out 400m drag race along the town's North Parade to the finish line.

It's a stage that will allow the fast finishers – to open their account, along with the extra incentive of the leader's jersey to go with the stage victory.

Stage 2
Wednesday, 3 September
Stowmarket > Stowmarket
169.3km
Start: 11:00am
Finish: 3:16pm

The race stays in the East of England for stage two, for what will be the first time the men's Tour of Britain has started or finished in the Mid-Suffolk area (Stowmarket hosted a stage finish of the Women's Tour in 2019).

Stage two is even flatter than the previous day, with a scant 1,075m of ascent, but at the same time features a brace of climbs in the final kilometres, including the first classified climb of the race at Semer Hill.

Around half a mile long, with the main part of the climb at a gradient of 7-8%, Semer Hill comes with around 20km to go, and is followed 10km later by another, non-classified ascent at Cross Green. It's a double whammy that could tip the deck in favour of the punchiest attackers over the pure sprinters. This is the kind of territory that Julian Alaphilippe revels in. But whether or not a) the climbs are hard enough to drop the sprinters and b) the Frenchman still has it in him remains to be seen.

Today's outing – billed as 'The Stowmarket Stage' – is a touch longer than stage one at 169km, and is run off entirely inland, describing an elongated loop. Starting on Ipswich Street in the town centre, the race heads first north out of the town before looping south. It crosses the Dedham Vale National Landscape nature reserve before heading north again to the finish in the centre of Stowmarket, back on Ipswich Street.

Any pure sprinters who fear they may miss out due to the hilly finale can always try their luck at the intermediate sprint, which comes at Stradbroke, 45km into the stage.

There is a good chance an early break will have gone clear by this point though, its members hoovering up those points.

Stage 3
Thursday, 4 September
Milton Keynes > Ampthill
122.8km
Start: 11:30am
Finish: 2:40pm

The Tour of Britain moves to central England for stage three's mazy parcours between Milton Keynes and Ampthill, complete with two loops of a circuit near the finish that takes riders over the same cat-three climb on each.

It's the shortest stage yet, and at 994m of vertical ascent, the flattest too. However, the double ascent of Hillfoot Hill as they tackle the circuit should test the riders' legs at 700m long and a 5.2% average gradient if they find themselves out of position coming into it. With the second of these coming with 15 lumpy kilometres from the finish, there’s a small chance it could provide the springboard for a break and ensuing chase to the line.

The stage marks the first time the race has visited Milton Keynes since 2008, when the town hosted stage two of the race to Newbury. That day saw an Antipodean one-two-three, with Matt Goss taking the stage honours in a bunch sprint, followed closely by Julian Dean and Chris Sutton.

The riders will start the stage on Midsummer Boulevard outside the Milton Keynes Theatre and MK Gallery, threading their way out of the city in the neutralised zone, past the Oracle Red Bull Racing F1 team tech campus to the start proper.

The route passes through Woburn Sands and Woburn Abbey Deer Park as it jinks slowly eastward. It introduces them to the 30km circuit and its double bite at the KoM. From there the riders will head back west to finish on Woburn Street in Ampthill town centre.

The double loop – which is technically tackled one-and-a-half times – makes this a great stage to watch the race on, with fans being treated to two passes of the race. Hillfoot Hill will, of course, be the ideal viewing point, with the riders battling it out in slow(er) motion.

Stage 4
Friday, 5 September
Atherstone > Burton Dassett Hills Country Park
186.9km
Start: 10:30am
Finish: 3:12pm

The race’s longest stage is contained to the winding roads of Warwickshire, the county that gave the world William Shakespeare and the sport of rugby. The start town of Atherstone, however, is famous for its own ball game, played every February, in which the winner is the person who is holding the ball after two hours – there is only one rule: players are not allowed to kill each other. For the riders on stage four, the first bit of argy-bargy will come in Cubbington, the site of the day’s only intermediate sprint.

The second half of the stage brings a smattering of climbs that tot up quickly. They’ll come as welcome launchpads for the GC hopefuls, not so much for the sprinters, who by this point will already have enjoyed three reasonably flat days. After the categorised climbs of Friz Hill, Fant Hill and Sun Rising Hill, the race heads into a circuit finale in Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, with three laps that include a steep kicker.

That final rise to the line is only 700m long, but pitched at 9%, it should have the peloton’s best chance to open up some gaps in the bunch. According to the tourist board, there are “breathtaking” views at the top, with the hills dating back to the Jurassic period – not that the riders will have much chance to appreciate them, as they’ll be recovering from their first hilltop test.

Stage 5
Saturday, 6 September
Pontypool > The Tumble
133.5km
Start: 11:30am
Finish: 2:55pm

The penultimate day is the first instalment of a tricky double-header in South Wales. Setting sail from within the peaceful, tree-lined Pontypool Park, the riders will first complete a large loop to the east, passing through Chepstow and Monmouth, and tackling three climbs: the category-two Llangwm and Itton Hill, and the category-three Old Ross Road.

It’s on entering the smaller finishing loop that things will get spicy, though. With around 50km to go, the riders begin their first of two ascents of The Tumble – the longest and hardest climb of this year’s race. Opening with two hairpins with a 10% gradient, the full climb is 5km long, with an average gradient of 8%. At almost 400m altitude, it’s about as close to a mountain as cyclists will find in the UK.

The Tumble was last used in the Tour of Britain more than a decade ago, when Italian Edoardo Zardini won at the top of its slopes. Zardini still holds the Strava KOM today, managing the climb in 12 minutes and 44 seconds, an average speed of 22kph. Second in the leaderboard is former world champion Michał Kwiatkowski, who was runner-up on the day.

The toughest climb in South Wales, The Tumble isn’t as gruelling as its Snowdonia counterparts in the north of the country. Still, it’s notoriety earns it a slot in Simon Warren’s 100 Greatest Cycling Climbs of the UK book – albeit only just: it’s number 97.

Stage 6
Sunday, 7 September
Newport > Cardiff
112.2km
Start: 11:45am
Finish: 2:45pm

On Geraint Thomas’s final day as a pro cyclist, the Tour of Britain has pulled out all the stops with a tribute stage to the Welshman, passing by a number of important milestones from his life and career. The first comes at the stage start – Newport’s Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales, whose entrance bears a giant photo of the Ineos Grenadiers rider wearing the Tour de France’s yellow jersey he won in 2018.

From there, the route zigzags north, up to the edge of, but not quite dipping into, the Brecon Beacons National Park. The road here tilts constantly up and down, with no real let up on the flat; stage six may be the event’s shortest at 112km, but it’s unlikely to be its easiest.

Refusing to afford Thomas and the rest of the peloton a processional finish, the race’s final categorised climb – the category-one Caerphilly Mountain (1.3km at 10%) – could see a last-gasp fireworks display for the overall win.

It’s then back on the Thomas trail, as the riders hurtle into Cardiff through the suburb of Maindy, home to the Maindy Velodrome where the Welshman began his cycling journey more than 30 years ago with his first club, Maindy Flyers. There’ll be no time to stop and pay homage, though.

The 2025 Tour of Britain’s flamme rouge will be erected not far from the velodrome’s entrance, indicating one kilometre to go to the finish in Cardiff, Thomas’s hometown. The line will be drawn just short of the city’s castle, where a new race king will be crowned.

Fred Wright is to ride the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men for Bahrain Victorious, it was announced on Monday, as the start list for the UK's biggest men's bike race was confirmed.

The race begins on Tuesday, 2 September, in East Suffolk, running until Sunday, 7 September in Cardiff. Wright joins a start list replete with talent, including Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike), Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers).

Thomas will be bowing out of professional cycling after the Tour of Britain, and will ride in a specially designed Ineos Grenadiers jersey. Joining Thomas for Ineos will be two-time Tour stage winner this year, Thymen Arensman.

The 19 teams on the start list have six riders each, and each squad has varying objectives; some teams aim for the overall win high up on the general classification, while others aim for stage wins, sprints or otherwise.

There are nine WorldTour teams on the start list, including UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma-Lease a Bike and Ineos Grenadiers; eight ProTeams; a single Continental squad; and a Great Britain team, mostly made of young developing riders.

There are 24 British riders in the peloton of 114, including five former national champions in Ben Swift, Thomas and the reigning Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers), Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) and Wright.

This year's race will be held over six stages, running from September 2 to Sunday 7 September. The race begins in East Suffolk, before moving to the middle of the country and then finishing in Wales after a couple of hilly stages.

The full list of teams set to compete at the Tour of Britain are below, with number to help you spot your favourites.

Tour of Britain 2025 start list

Ineos Grenadiers
1 THOMAS Geraint (GBr)
2 AUGUST Andrew (USA)
3 HAMILTON Lucas (Aus)
4 SWIFT Ben (GBr)
5 ARENSMAN Thymen (Ned)
6 WATSON Samuel (GBr)

UAE Team Emirates-XRG
11 HERREGODTS Rune (Bel)
12 JOHANSEN Julius (Den)
13 MORGADO António (Por)
14 OLIVEIRA Rui (Por)
15 SIVAKOV Pavel (Fra)
16 VERMEERSCH Florian (Bel)

Visma-Lease a Bike
21 BRENNAN Matthew (GBr)
22 KOOIJ Olav (Ned)
23 AFFINI Edoardo (Ita)
24 VAN BELLE Loe (Ned)
25 GLOAG Thomas (GBr)
26 VERMOTE Julien (Bel)

Lidl-Trek
31 DECLERCQ Tim (Bel)
32 GEOGHEGAN HART Tao (GBr)
33 MOLLEMA Bauke (Ned)
34 TEUTENBERG Tim Torn (Ger)
35 FRYDKJÆR Patrick Boje (Den)
36 KÄMNA Lennard (Ger)

Soudal Quick-Step
41 EVENEPOEL Remco (Bel)
42 PEDERSEN Casper (Den)
43 LAMPERTI Luke (USA)
44 HAYTER Ethan (GBr)
45 SVRČEK Martin (Slo)
46 VAN WILDER Ilan (Bel)

Israel-Premier Tech
51 BLACKMORE Joseph (Gbr)
52 HOFSTETTER Hugo (Fra)
53 SCHULTZ Nick (Aus)
54 GILMORE Brady (Aus)
55 MARRIAGE Zac (Aus)
56 TARLING Finlay (GBr)

Uno-X Mobility
61 LEKNESSUND Andreas (Nor)
62 TILLER Rasmus (Nor)
63 PEDERSEN Henrik (Den)
64 KRISTOFF Alexander (Nor)
65 URIANSTAD BUGGE Martin (Nor)
66 INGEBRIGTSEN Storm (Nor)

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
71 PARET-PEINTRE Aurélien (Fra)
72 DE BONDT Dries (Bel)
73 LAFAY Victor (Fra)
74 ISIDORE Noa (Fra)
75 GUDMESTAD Tord (Fra)
76 TRONCHON Bastien (Fra)

Bahrain-Victorious
81 BILBAO Pello (Esp)
82 WRIGHT Fred (GBr)
83 ERŽEN Žak (Slo)
84 EULÁLIO Afonso (Por)
85 GOVEKAR Matevž (Slo)
86 ZAMBANINI Edoardo (Ita)

Picnic PostNL
91 DEGENKOLB John (Ger)
92 FLYNN Sean (GBr)
93 LEIJNSE Enzo (Ned)
94 ONLEY Oscar (GBr)
95 DE JONG Timo (Ned)
96 VANHUFFEL Matteo (Bel)

Groupama-FDJ
101 GRÉGOIRE Romain (Fra)
102 DONNENWIRTH Tom (Fra)
103 GERMANI Lorenzo (Ita)
104 LE GAC Olivier (Fra)
105 WALLS Matthew (GBr)
106 ROBERTS Reef (NZl)

Tudor Pro Cycling
111 ALAPHILIPPE Julian (Fra)
112 DAINESE Alberto (Ita)
113 RONDEL Mathys (Fra)
114 FROIDEVAUX Robin (Sui)
115 TRENTIN Matteo (Ita)
116 LIENHARD Fabian (Sui)

Q36.5 Pro Cycling
121 DONOVAN Mark (GBr)
122 LIEPIŅŠ Emīls (Lat)
123 FRISON Frederik (Bel)
124 TOWNSEND Rory (Ire)
125 VADER Milan (Ned)
126 PIDCOCK Joseph (GBr)

Lotto
131 AERTS Toon (Bel)
132 BEULLENS Cedric (Bel)
133 GIDDINGS Joshua (GBr)
134 MENTEN Milan (Bel)
135 ORINS Robin (Bel)
136 VEISTROFFER Baptiste (Fra)

Unibet Tietema Rockets
141 STOKBRO Andreas (Den)
142 DE VRIES Hartthijs (Ned)
143 BOMBOI Davide (Bel)
144 HUENS Axel (Fra)
145 KOPECKÝ Tomáš (Cze)
146 KYFFIN Zeb (GBr)

Kern Pharma
151 BRUSTENGA Marc (Esp)
152 ELOSEGUI Iñigo (Esp)
153 GOMEZ Iker (Esp)
154 PÉREZ César (Esp)
155 URIARTE Diego (Esp)
156 WENZEL Mats (Ned)

Flanders-Baloise
161 LANHOVE Milan (Bel)
162 CRABBE Tom (Bel)
163 DEWEIRDT Siebe (Bel)
164 HESTERS Jules (Bel)
165 MARIS Elias (Bel)
166 VERCOUILLIE Victor (Bel)

Anicolor/Tien 21
171 WOOD Harrison (GBr)
172 GUERIN Alexis (Fra)
173 REIS Rafael (Por)
174 FERNÁNDEZ Rubén (Esp)
175 MARTÍNEZ Victor (Esp)
176 FERNANDES Paulo (Por)

Great Britain
181 WIGGINS Ben (GBr)
182 BUCK JONES Huw (GBr)
183 BOSTOCK Matthew (GBr)
184 CHILTON Ben (GBr)
185 GOLLIKER Joshua (GBr)
186 CHARLTON Josh (GBr)

Two of the standout British riders of 2025, Matthew Brennan and Oscar Onley, will ride the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, as the race's provisional start list was released on Thursday evening.

The race begins next Tuesday, 2 September, with the start list now fleshed out around the already announced Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers).

Visma-Lease a Bike's Brennan has won 11 professional races this year, in his debut season, one of the most successful ever. He most recently won two stages and the points jersey at the Deutschland Tour, and comes to dovetail on the sprint stages with his teammate Olav Kooij, who won four consecutive stages of the race and the points jersey on his last appearance at the race, in 2023.

Meanwhile, Onley of Picnic PostNL is likely a favourite for overall victory, given his recent fourth place at the Tour de France. He finished second and won the best young rider jersey 12 months ago at the Tour of Britain.

Thomas will be bowing out of professional cycling after the Tour of Britain, and will ride in a specially designed Ineos Grenadiers jersey. Joining Thomas for Ineos will be two-time Tour stage winner this year Thymen Arensman.

A second British Grand Tour winner will be at the race in Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), who will be present for the first time in eight years.

The riders third, fourth, and fifth in the general classification last year all return alongside Onley – Tom Donnenwirth (Groupama FDJ), Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), and Joe Blackmore (Israel–Premier Tech).

Among the more experienced riders at the race are John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL) and Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X Mobility), who boast Monuments and Grand Tour stage wins between them.

In total, nine former Tour of Britain Men stage winners are on the provisional start list: Kooij, Edoardo Affini and Julian Vermote (all Visma-Lease a Bike), Alaphilippe and Matteo Trentin (both Tudor Pro Cycling), Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Matevž Govekar (Bahrain Victorious), Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility).

"Everything is in place for what will be another incredible edition of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, and following on from the high quality line up we had at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, it’s great to be able to welcome this world-class line-up of teams and riders to the race and it is testament to the status of the event," Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said.

"Like the fans, we now cannot wait for the racing to start in East Suffolk next week, and look forward to the joy and excitement that each of the six stages will bring to communities and spectators along the route, plus all of those watching the live broadcast at home, and around the world."

This year's race will be held over six stages, running from September 2 to Sunday 7 September. The race begins in East Suffolk, before moving to the middle of the country and then finishing in Wales after a couple of hilly stages.

The full start list can be seen on British Cycling's website.

Ineos Grenadiers will wear a special kit at the Tour of Britain Men next week to honour Geraint Thomas, who will be racing for a final time before retirement.

The kit, released on social media on Wednesday, is a largely red affair, with a Welsh dragon across the middle and a green collar, aping the flag of Wales and the kits of Wales' national teams. It also features the TotalEnergies logo, as all Ineos kits have since the Tour de France.

Thomas, 39, is retiring this year after almost two decades in the professional peloton, bowing out at his home race. He will be honoured with a stage finish in his home town of Cardiff. Moving forward, he is expected to stay on at Ineos in a management role.

The jersey includes the names of people who have been with Thomas along the way. It also references to some of the former Tour de France winner's greatest achievements, including his Olympic and Commonwealth Games golds, his British National Championships victory, and his stage win atop Alpe d'Huez on his way to the yellow jersey in 2018.

The years of his career run down the white band on the back, and it also has a picture drawn by Thomas' son, Macs, of him atop a podium.

"It’s pretty cool, apparently that’s me, that’s him, and that’s Lucas actually. Lucas Hamilton, that’s a bit random," Thomas explained in a video launching the jersey. "Lucas was obviously new to the team, and we were down in Oz, and this is where Macs drew the picture just after that."

"Certainly the most meaningful jersey [I've ever had], that’s for sure," he added. "I think it definitely will be emotional come the final stage, you know, finishing in Cardiff, wearing this. I even got the dates here in the collar. My very first race, 17 January 2007 at the Tour Down Under, last race 7 September 2025, the Tour of Britain. Well hopefully it’s my last race, hopefully I make it there.

"I’m looking forward to it, it’s definitely something I’m going to soak up and enjoy."

"It is kind of strange to think come, well just over a sort of week and a half's time, I will not be a professional athlete anymore," Thomas told the BBC this week.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain begins in Woodbridge, East Suffolk, next Tuesday, and concludes in Cardiff the following Sunday, 7 September.

This year's Lloyds Tour of Britain Men peloton will feature some of the race's former stars, with a start list replete with previous winners of stages and the overall too.

Topping the list is 2018 GC winner Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling), who also had a great race in 2021 when he wore the world champion's rainbow bands and took three stage podiums as well as placing third on GC.

The Frenchman has ridden the Tour of Britain three times and has finished in the top 10 in half of the stages he's raced there – expect to see him in the thick of the action on the hillier days this year.

Former stage winners Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Rasmus Tiller (Uno-X Mobility) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) will also be in attendance at the race start on Tuesday September 2, in Woodbridge, Suffolk.

Bennett won his ToB stage back in 2013, when he triumphed in a bunch sprint on stage five in Caerphilly, while Swift recorded his first ever pro win at the race, all the way back in 2009, winning stage seven in Yeovil.

Also on the current provisional startlist is Visma-Lease a Bike rider Olav Kooij, who boasts a quartet of stage wins from 2023, when he led the GC for much of the race, only to be overtaken by team-mate Wout van Aert in the final days.

The only other rider to be announced so far – Remco Evenepoel of Soudal Quick-Step – has yet to win a stage of the race. He rode last year between Olympic Games and World Championship time trial victories, but suffered in the rain and came away with a best stage placing of fifth.

This year's race will be held over six stages, running from September 2 to Sunday September 7. Beginning in the east of England with two stages in East Anglia, the race moves slowly west, with stage three in central England between Milton Keynes and Ampthill, a Warwickshire stage with a hilltop finish.

The final two stages will be held in Wales, with stage five featuring a double ascent of the Tumble, and the final stage starting outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport and finishing in Cardiff.

The 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will once again be broadcast live and free on ITV, British Cycling announced on Friday.

The six-stage race begins in Suffolk on Tuesday 2 September, finishing in Cardiff on Sunday 7 September. The biggest elite men's race in the UK will be shown live on ITV4 and ITVX for the 13th time, the 13th consecutive edition on the channel. There will also be highlights on television and online.

There will be commentary and coverage from ITV's cycling team, including Ned Boulting, just over a month after they finished free-to-air coverage of the Tour de France for a final time.

Among the names expected to be riding the Tour of Britain in September are Remco Evenepoel in one of his final races for Soudal Quick-Step, Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) in his final appearance as a pro cyclist, and Tour de France breakout star Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL).

"We are proud to partner with the Lloyds Tour of Britain here at ITV, bringing the very best of British cycling to a free-to-air audience on ITV4 and ITVX," Richard Botchway, commissioning editor at ITV, said. "Viewers will enjoy every heart racing moment, as ITV captures daily highlights, as well as all six stages of the race."

"We are delighted to confirm ITV4 and ITVX as broadcast partners for September, as we continue to bring the Lloyds Tour of Britain to as many people as possible so that they can share in the joy of cycling, and the excitement and action that the race brings each year," Darren Henry, the chief commercial officer at BC, said.

"This year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men is going to be another six stages of incredible racing, building to a fantastic climax with our two stages in Wales and overall finish in Cardiff, so it is great that sports fans across Britain can follow all of the action every day on ITV4 and ITVX."

Earlier this year, the Tour of Britain Women was broadcast for free through BBC Sport, but most professional cycling is now behind a paywall for fans in the UK, with TNT Sports taking over from Eurosport this season. 2026 will be the first year the Tour de France will be fully behind a paywall for live coverage.

British Cycling are also encouraging fans to engage with the Tour of Britain on on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.

Remco Evenepoel is to ride the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in what will be one of his final competitive outings in Soudal Quick-Step colours.

It will be the second time the Belgian has ridden the race, which runs from 2-7 September, starting in Woodbridge, Suffolk and finishing six stages later in Cardiff.

The make-up of the rest of the seven-man team has yet to announced, but Evenepoel's participation has been confirmed by the team.

There had been speculation that he might not make another appearance in Soudal colours, following his widely publicised transfer from the Belgian team to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.

But the 25-year-old has plans to ride both the World Championship road race and time trial in Rwanda at the end of September, where he will look to defend his rainbow bands in the ITT and win them back in the road race.

He attended the Tour of Britain Men last year a month after winning both the Olympic Games road race and time trial in Paris. But having trained in Spain since the Games, Evenepoel struggled in the cooler conditions in the UK.

"I really suffered from the cold," he told reporters mid-race. "After spending a month in Spain with temperatures around forty degrees, finding myself here with ten degrees and rain was a real shock for the body."

He went on to place 28th on GC, with a best stage finish of fifth on the lumpy second stage from Darlington to Redcar.

There are no time trials in this year's Tour of Britain, but there are three punchy finishes, which could be a good test for the hills of Kigali later in September. With the full route revealed for the race this week, fans can work out where to see the Olympic champion.

It will be his first race since he abandoned the Tour de France on stage 14.

Evenepoel's move from Soudal Quick-Step, where he will have spent seven seasons, to Red Bull, had been rumoured for months and often touted as 'the worst kept secret in the peloton'. Now it is official, the team dynamic going forward will be interesting.

Also set to be on the start line at the Tour of Britain is Geraint Thomas, for whom the Tour of Britain will be the final race of his long career, and who will be honoured in his home town of Cardiff on the final stage.

The 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men crosses England and Wales from east to west. Read our full route guide here, along with the complete start list.

The 11 stage starts and finishes are from Woodbridge in East Suffolk to Cardiff in Wales six days later, via Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire, but fans can now find out if the race will be coming right past their front door.

The UCI 2.Pro race is 886km long in total, from Tuesday 2 to Sunday 7 September, and will be raced by 19 teams, including nine WorldTour squads. Among them will be UAE Team Emirates-XRG, Visma-Lease a Bike, Soudal Quick-Step and Ineos Grenadiers.

Stage one, between Woodbridge and Southwold in Suffolk, will be 161.4km long and pass through Grundisburgh, Wickham Market, Rendlesham, Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh, Thorpeness, Saxmundham, Framlingham, Halesworth, where there will be an intermediate sprint, then Bungay, Beccles, Wrentham and Reydon.

The next day will see stage two starting and finishing in Stowmarket. Over 169.3km, the peloton will race through Debenham, Bedfield, Stradbroke for an intermediate sprint, Eye, Thurston, Felsham, Babergh, Lavenham, and Sudbury before finishing back in Stowmarket after a classified climb just after Hadleigh, Semer Hill.

The race will then leave Suffolk for stage three, a 122.8km day between Milton Keynes and Ampthill. On the way, Woburn, Toddington, Barton-le-Clay, and Shefford, Northill and Old Warden will all be visited, including a double loop around Northill and Old Warden, with the day's intermediate sprint at the former. There is also a classified climb at Hillfoot near Old Warden, 700m at 5.2%.

Stage four, the longest stage of the race, takes place between Atherstone and Burton Dassett Hills Country Park. The 186.9km-long stage has six classified climbs, the most of any day.

The route passes through Ansley, Shustoke, and Fillongley, Bedworth, Bulkington, Brinklow, Rugby, Dunchurch, Cubbington for an intermediate sprint, Wellesbourne, Compton Verney, Kineton, Shipston-on-Stour, Upper Brailes, before Burton Dassett Hills is reached.

Sun Rising Hill after Upper Brailes is 10% over 900m, before the climb at the country park is 1.4km at 5.7%. Mathieu van der Poel won there the last time the Tour of Britain came here.

After four stages in England, stage five begins in Pontypool Park in Torfaen, for 133.5km of action with 2,330m of climbing.

The peloton will pass through Usk, Chepstow, Monmouth, Abergavenny, then The Tumble for the first time – 4.9km at 8% – before a descent into Blaenavon and then Pontypool. Usk is then passed through again, before a second time up The Tumble.

After five stages of action, the final day will begin in Newport at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales ahead of a 112.2km test. From Newport, riders will race through Risca, Crosskeys, Wattsville, Blaenau Gwent, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, the Sirhowy Valley, the Rhymney Valley, Bargoed, Nelson, Ystrad Mynach and Caerphilly. The race will then head south to Cardiff after Caerphilly Mountain is tackled (1.4km at 9.7%), where it will finish on North Road alongside Bute Park.

"We have worked hard with our stakeholders across all six stages to create this great route that will build to a real climax as we reach Wales, with the racing for the green jersey sure to go all the way down to the finish line on North Road in Cardiff," Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said.

All stages will begin between 11am and 12pm, and are expected to finish between 2:40pm and 3:30pm.

Tadej Pogačar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG will appear at the Tour of Britain Men for the first time this September as part of a 19-team field that will contest the race.

However, the Slovenian is unlikely to be part of the UAE squad for the six-day competition. Pogačar was initially due to race the Vuelta a España after claiming a fourth Tour de France title, although he withdrew from the race earlier this week due to fatigue; he will return to competition at the GPs de Québec and Montréal in Canada before the World Championships.

As well as UAE, eight other WorldTour squads will be on the start line in Suffolk on 2 September: Visma-Lease a Bike, Groupama-FDJ, Bahrain Victorious, Ineos Grenadiers, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, Soudal Quick-Step, Lidl-Trek, and Picnic PostNL. Similarly to UAE, Groupama-FDJ will also debut at the event.

Soudal Quick-Step, Ineos Grenadiers and Visma-Lease a Bike are the three most successful teams in the history of the modern Tour of Britain, having won a total of 64 individual stages between them.

Apart from the presence of Geraint Thomas, no other riders have been confirmed as part of the start list yet. The Welshman is due to retire at the end of the race in his hometown of Cardiff. Ahead of the World Championships, it's possible for riders to attend the Tour of Britain as a warm up race, as Wout van Aert did when he triumphed in 2021 and 2023 and could be part of the Visma team selection once more.

Elsewhere, eight ProTeam level squads are set to take part. Israel-Premier Tech - the team of last year's winner, Stevie Williams - are set to return, as are Uno-X Mobility, Unibet Tietema-Rockets, Kern Pharma, Flanders-Baloise, and Tom Pidcock's Q36.5 Pro Cycling. The third squad making its Tour of Britain debut is Tudor Pro Cycling, the team of the two-time road World Champion Julian Alaphilippe.

After impressing with aggressive riding in last year's event, the Anicolour-Tien 21 squad will return to the race next month. The Portuguese registered team will be the only UCI Continental team included. Great Britain will also field a six-rider strong team as usual.

"This year's line-up of teams for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men is one of the best that we have ever seen assembled for the race, and shows the status with which the event is held by UCI WorldTour and Pro Teams," said the race's managing director, Jonathan Day. "Excitement is building for September, and what will be a highly competitive Lloyds Tour of Britain Men. We cannot wait to see these teams in action."

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men gets underway in Woodbridge, Suffolk on 2 September.

The 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will honour Geraint Thomas’s career with a finish in his home city of Cardiff, it was announced on Wednesday.

As first reported by Cycling Weekly last month, the six-stage race, set to take place from 2-7 September, will close with a finale in South Wales. Stage five will finish with a double ascent of The Tumble, a steep, 5km climb near Abergavenney, before a final day ode to Thomas.

Starting at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport, the sixth stage will pass by the Maindy Velodrome, home of Thomas’s first cycling club, the Maindy Flyers, before finishing in Cardiff city centre.

The race is expected to be the Ineos Grenadiers rider's last competition before he calls time on his professional career that has lasted 19 years.

Speaking earlier this year on his podcast, Watts Occurring, Thomas said a send-off in Cardiff would be a fairytale ending to his career.

"If you could pick anything then it would be finishing on home roads and the Tour of Britain is exactly that," the 2018 Tour de France winner said.

"Rod [Ellingworth], who's my old coach from the [British Cycling] academy, then obviously he was part of [Team] Sky for so many years, he's the race director there as well. So I've asked him to pull a few favours, possibly go into Wales for the final stage, possibly Cardiff city centre outside the castle, that would be awesome."

The official announcement means that all the start and finish towns of this year’s Tour of Britain Men are now known.

The race will begin on 2 September in Suffolk with a stage between Woodbridge and Southwold. Stage two will then be an out and back to Stowmarket, before Milton Keynes sends the riders off on day three, on their way to Ampthill.

Stage four will start in Atherstone and finish in Burton Dassett Hills County. The final two days will then see the race shift into South Wales.

Commenting on the Welsh finale, Caroline Spanton, CEO of Beicio Cymru, Welsh Cycling, said it would make a “fitting tribute to one of Wales’ most iconic athletes”.

“To see the peloton pass places like Maindy Velodrome and The Tumble, and to welcome the race into Cardiff, is especially poignant in what is expected to be Geraint Thomas’ final professional road race,” Spanton said.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to the Welsh Government and local authorities whose support and investment have made these stages possible.”

Full details of the race route are expected to follow in late July.

Welshman Stevie Williams will miss the Tour de France and upcoming British National Road Championships due to a knee injury, he announced on Monday.

The 29-year-old from Aberystwyth began his season in Australia at the Tour Down Under, only racing again in April at the Giro d’Abruzzo and Ardennes Classics. He did not finish his three most recent races, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Eschborn-Frankfurt. The British Nationals are due to take place in his hometown at the end of June.

In an Instagram post, Williams revealed the reasons behind his limited start to the season, explaining that the 2025 has not yet gone how he had hoped.

"Since the start of my season in Australia, I've had an issue with my right knee, a quadriceps tendonopothy, which is very tricky to manage, and it hasn't resolved," he wrote. "I was able to come back for Giro d'Abruzzo and the Ardennes but since then, things still aren’t completely right.

"Unfortunately, this means I won't be able to race the national championships in Wales, or the Tour De France. I'm gutted to miss them, especially racing Nationals in front of a home crowd. But, I'm working really hard to get back to full fitness with the support of the team and I hope I'll be back on the start line soon."

He continued: "As a cyclist, the only thing you want to do is race so this season has been incredibly frustrating, but I know that these things can't be rushed. A big thanks to everyone in the team, and the support of great people externally. I hope to be back soon."

Williams previously suffered with a persistent injury in his left knee, which caused him repeated trouble after turning professional with the team then known as Bahrain-Merida in 2019.

After leaving his former team, he then joined Israel-Premier Tech for the 2023 season and enjoyed a stellar 2024 campaign in which he won the Tour Down Under, La Flèche Wallonne and the Tour of Britain Men. He has also previously won the Arctic Race of Norway.

Just over a year ago, British Cycling announced that it was going to rescue both the men’s and women’s Tours of Britain after the previous race organiser, SweetSpot, went into liquidation. Now, the national governing body is looking to the long term, and hoping to develop a suite of racing events.

“We were really determined to deliver last year and grow the race and I think if you look at the Tour of Britain Women – just take the riders and the teams last year compared to the riders and the teams this year – it shows that people value racing in the UK,” British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton told Cycling Weekly at the 2025 race.

“We need to be mindful of the business model – staging any bike race on the public highway is an expensive affair – but we're optimistic.”

It’s a tough environment for road race organisers in the UK, with costs higher than ever and fewer local councils with an appetite to host events. Dutton explained that the headwinds are strong for domestic road racing, but hopes the rising profile of both Tours of Britain can support the rest of the scene.

“Policing, safety, the public sector finances, people wanting to step forward as event organisers – it's really hard,” Dutton said.

“At British Cycling we have a duty and responsibility to be part of the solution, but there is no magic wand to wave… What we will find is moving to a sustainable business model, we'll probably have to have some more tough conversations in the future… We've not got enough events with enough event organisers that are sustainable and that's just part of the overall challenge.”

British Cycling are planning to add to the number of stages of the women’s race, which is currently four days long, and see the Tours of Britain as central to their plans to develop a larger portfolio of British Cycling-run events across several disciplines.

Dutton shared a vision to see British Cycling organise high profile events in track cycling, BMX freestyle and cyclo-cross, suggesting that the governing body will look to bring a round of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup back to British soil for the first time since 2014.

All of this, as British Cycling set out in a new strategy in March, is with a view to increase cycling participation in the UK. The race route around Glasgow was closed for a further three hours after the end of the Tour of Britain Women, allowing riders of all ages and abilities to ride around the city on traffic-free roads. This kind of initiative, Dutton says, will go hand-in-hand with British Cycling events going forward.

“Our research shows that 27 million people in the UK got on a bike in the last 12 months," he said. "That's the future for us, it's to fuse together elite events, creating visibility and enabling us to do more things – to get people on the bike and give them great experiences.”

The Tour of Britain Men could finish in Cardiff this September to pay tribute to Geraint Thomas, in what is set to be his final race for Ineos Grenadiers.

The event is likely to finish in the Welsh capital, directly beneath Cardiff Castle, and pass close by to the outdoor velodrome, home of Maindy Flyers Cycling Club - the first club the 2018 Tour de France winner joined when starting out in the sport in his home city. Negotiations are understood to still be ongoing with local authorities regarding the exact nature of the 2025 route, however.

Speaking at the time of his retirement announcement, Thomas said on his Watts Occurring podcast that he hoped the Tour of Britain race director, Rod Ellingworth, could orchestrate a grand exit for him on his final professional outing. The duo have maintained a close relationship since working together on the British Cycling academy, which later continued when Ellingworth joined Ineos Grenadiers.

"If you could pick anything then it would be finishing on home roads and the Tour of Britain is exactly that," Thomas said. "Rod [Ellingworth], who's my old coach from the academy, then obviously he was part of [Team] Sky for so many years, he's the race director there as well. So I've asked him to pull a few favours, possibly go into Wales for the final stage, possibly Cardiff city centre outside the castle, that would be awesome."

As well as finishing beneath the castle, the race organisation are said to be working on a passage over nearby Caerphilly Mountain - last used in the Tour of Britain in 2023 - before venturing into Cardiff.

Race director Ellingworth did little to deny speculation regarding the Cardiff route when speaking to Velo recently: "There's a few little challenges but the final part will be dead exciting and I think there'll be some really good racing. As Geraint is retiring, I think it will be a brilliant finish for him."

Sources also told CW that the Tour of Britain Men is likely to be used as an opportunity to test potential routes for the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ in the UK - the final day into Cardiff could be one of the stages potentially used by ASO, the Tour de France's organisers, during the race's visit to Britain.

Little is currently publicly confirmed regarding the Grand Départ, other than that the race will begin in Edinburgh. It is understood that ASO could potentially use Britain's biggest elite men's race as an opportunity to trial a proposed course in a similar way to how the Critérium du Dauphiné does so for the Tour. ASO were approached for comment but did not respond.

A spokesperson for British Cycling said: "We'll be announcing details of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men's stages soon and look forward to sharing all of the official route news with excited fans.”

The Lloyds Bank Tours of Britain boosted host towns' local economies by more than £30 million last year, data released by YouGov has revealed.

A study carried out after the races took place in 2024 by the research firm showed that the direct economic impact of both events was huge, with the four-stage Tour of Britain Women in June bringing in a value of £10.4 million to local areas, while the Tour of Britain Men boosted local economies by £17.2 million. According to the data the total event impact came to £11.9 million and £21.2 million respectively.

British Cycling took over the management of both events in early 2024 after the collapse of the firm previously behind both events, SweetSpot. The national governing body said in January that they were in a race against time to stage the Tour of Britain Women, due to the fallout of the former organisers liquidation, making the significant financial impact of the race even more notable.

The data analysis project only included spending by attendees from outside the host economies who came to the events. Spending by locals in each of the areas was said to be excluded meaning that the figures may underplay the true impact of both races.

"We are really encouraged to see the huge impact the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and Men is having across England, Scotland and Wales," Jonathan Day of British Cycling Events said. "The figures from the report demonstrate the huge social and economic impact these events have on communities across the UK.

"Not only do travelling spectators and local residents have the opportunity to experience high quality racing on their doorstep, but the lasting legacy is apparent. It is encouraging that so many more people have been inspired to be active and cycle more often - allowing more people to experience the joy of cycling.

"2024 was a huge success and we are excited to see the impact the 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain has, and many more editions in the future."

The research also shows that a combined £3.5 million was invested by event organisers and suppliers in the local areas across both of the two races.

The women's race was won by Belgium's Lotte Kopecky, with Briton Stevie Williams taking the overall title in the men's equivalent in September. The length of the men's race was previously cut to six stages with the aim of achieving equal parity between both events moving forwards.

Steve Cummings has confirmed that he has left his role as Director of Racing at Ineos Grenadiers after months of uncertainty surrounding his future and position on the team.

Cummings was promoted to his senior role at the back end of last year. He was then controversially left out of the team’s on-the-ground management group at the Tour de France and was not seen at a race again. His last race in person for the team was June’s Critérium du Dauphiné.

The British former pro was also not mentioned in a series of recent staffing updates from Ineos, which included the news that Kurt Asle Arvesen was returning to the team to work as a lead sports director.

For weeks Ineos staff have insisted that Cummings' absence from races was of little significance and suggested that he was deep in preparation for the new season. This was the message when Cummings was absent from the Tour of Britain Men as well as other smaller stage races.

The team have regularly been unable to comment when asked by Cycling Weekly when Cummings would return to on-race work.

Cummings confirmed on LinkedIn on Tuesday evening that he has now left Ineos Grenadiers and issued the following statement.

"I’m aware there has been some speculation so I just wanted to clarify my situation," Cummings said. "I’ve reached the decision to step away from Ineos. This may seem like a big move, but I’m now ready to begin a new phase of my career. It’s been a privilege to work with such a talented group of riders and staff for the last four years. I’d really like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support and dedication."

He added: "I’ve always enjoyed and thrived working in a high performance environment and I will continue to have significant involvement in the sport. My focus is now on a new challenge within professional cycling."

As well as the Tour de France, Cummings was not included in the team’s management group for the Giro d’Italia or Vuelta a España meaning he missed all three Grand Tours this year.

Ineos CEO John Allert, as well as other senior team officials, insisted during the Tour that Cummings was supporting the team remotely but this was contradicted by DS Zak Dempster who said that he felt it would be "impossible" for Cummings to play an important role from home.

At the time sources close to the situation told Cycling Weekly that Cummings absence from the biggest race of the season was in part due to his apparent fractured relationship with Tom Pidcock. The duo’s relationship was said to be severely strained and Pidcock then told Cycling Weekly at the team presentation in Florence that he felt Ineos would be "better" without Cummings at the Tour.

Pidcock was heavily linked with a move away from Ineos for the second half of the year, with Q36.5 Pro Cycling said to be his next destination. However, the move has been reported to be off in recent weeks despite Pidcock’s surprising deselection from Il Lombardia.

Geraint Thomas gave his input on Pidcock's tense relationship with Ineos and said that he felt Pidcock's entourage "did not help" the situation.

Pidcock was then seen at a Manchester United match with several Ineos teammates last weekend. The Premier League giants are now owned by the Ineos group headed up by Jim Ratcliffe.

Sources told Cycling Weekly that Pidcock’s situation meant little to Cummings' future and that they felt there was no way back for the 43-year-old on the team regardless of whether the British star left, or not.

Cycling Weekly reached out to Ineos Grenadiers for comment on Cummings' departure and will update this article when the team responds.

Great Britain's Stevie Williams is aiming to be "competitive" in a tough men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships this Sunday, as part of a "really strong team".

The 28-year-old Welshman has enjoyed his best year to date, achieving two WorldTour level wins at the Tour Down Under and La Flèche Wallonne at the start of the year, before taking victory at the Tour of Britain Men in early September. With a place in Great Britain’s squad confirmed, Williams says he is now looking to carry his winning form into his elite worlds debut in Zurich on Sunday.

"I’d like to go there and be competitive," Williams told Cycling Weekly at the recent Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal in Canada. "It's a target of mine to go there with good legs, but I’m under no illusion that it’s one of the hardest races of the year."

"It's going to be extremely difficult to get into the final and try and race for the victory," he added. "But if I have a good day then I'll try my best to be there and give it a good shot. At the end of the day it’s the World Championships. If you can’t get motivated for that then what can you? We’ll be taking a really strong team and hopefully as GB we can really show our colours well."

Williams flew straight to Canada on the Monday after winning the Tour of Britain Men. Due to fatigue and minor illness, he did not finish the GP Montréal which was eventually won by the hot favourite for the men’s road world title, Tadej Pogačar.

The Aberystwyth-born rider still made the worlds selection for Great Britain and will line up alongside Tom Pidcock, Adam and Simon Yates, Oscar Onley, Jake Stewart, James Knox and Mark Donovan in the road race in Zurich.

Despite his success this year, Williams was hesitant to say that he felt he could lead the British team in Switzerland. Instead, the 28-year-old was diplomatic and said that he would simply settle for any role in the team that came his way.

"I think with GB now we have a lot of strength in depth in climbing and punching," he said. "We have a stacked pool of riders who are world class. So whether I go there and attempt to race the final, or I go there and support someone else deep into the race, that's also okay.

"It'll be something we speak about closer to the time once we're there, which is when we'll start to make decisions and look at how we can do our best."

Keeping the faith

Reflecting on his best year to date, Williams said that his success had at times felt surreal. The Welshman is a rider that has always shown enormous potential, with his best results beginning to arrive after a move to Israel-Premier Tech at the end of 2022.

Williams took his first stage race victory at the 2023 Arctic Race of Norway but it was this year where he made a big step. His form didn't go unnoticed and resulted in a lengthy contract extension coming his way during the Tour de France, which will keep him with the team until 2028.

"I don't think I could have told you at the start of the year or in winter last year, that I'd be able to be sitting here now as a winner of these races," Williams said as he reflected on his breakthrough year. "Sometimes I really have to pinch myself and try and figure out if it's real or not. So that's super special for me, especially after all the s**t in the past.

"It just really shows that anyone who's suffering with injuries or going through a bad moment just keep the faith, and then hopefully you'll come out the other side and be even better for it. That certainly worked for me."

A keen sportsman away from cycling, Williams admitted that he was now looking forward to the off season and a chance to immerse himself in other sports during a rare spell away from the bike.

"I can't wait to be able to sit down and watch some football and watch Liverpool," he said. "They are playing really well now so I'll follow them for most of the winter as I do now, but hopefully I'll actually get to a couple of football games and just enjoy it all.

"Otherwise it'll be good to spend time with friends and family, spend time with my girlfriend, and just forget about the bike for a few weeks until we gradually build it all up again."

British Cycling CEO Jon Dutton believes the talent pool of young, homegrown riders is only set to get bigger in the years ahead, as the likes of Stevie Williams, Joe Blackmore and Oscar Onley shine at the Tour of Britain Men.

Going into the final weekend of the six-day race, the top four riders in the general classification all hail from the UK. Welshman Williams leads the overall standings, followed by Onley, Mark Donovan and rising star Blackmore, the winner of this year’s Tour de l’Avenir. Twenty-two-year-old Louis Sutton, riding for the Great Britain Cycling Team is in sixth, meaning that GB has five riders in the top 10 alone. 

"I think we started off with the biggest, youngest, contingent of British riders ever," Dutton told Cycling Weekly on Friday afternoon. "The names that come through, we can start with Joe Blackmore winning the Tour de l'Avenir. One of my highlights was being in Redcar and seeing Joe outsprint Remco Evenepoel for fourth place. It was fourth place, but it was just just such a statement of intent. 

"Then we've got Mark Donovan and then Stevie Williams himself has had just such a brilliant season. And then if you look at the GB team that we've put out, led by Matt Holmes, but just full of young British riders. The future is bright.

"I know we've seen this displacement of talent going onto the continent, but that makes it even more important that we celebrate the Tour of Britain, and we celebrate the British talent when they do come home."

British Cycling faced a race against the odds to stage both of the newly revamped national Tours this year. The Tour of Britain Women took place over four days in June, and was won by the world champion Lotte Kopecky, ahead of GB's Anna Henderson.

Earlier this year, the men’s race was shortened to six stages in order to achieve future parity with both events, the women's event set to expand to the same amount. 

Dutton said the sight of huge numbers of spectators on the roadside, as well as the ability to attract high-profile Olympic-medal-winning stars, showed there was an appetite for the race as British Cycling get set to develop the event in the years ahead. 

"It was quite astonishing really what we had to go through to put this race on," Dutton explained. "But we believed in it, we've always believed in it, the heritage, history, and also what it's capable of being in the future."

"To get to the start line in Kelso on Tuesday and see such a great line-up, to have Remco Evenepoel joined by Tom Pidcock, and then this plethora of young British talent. To then have navigated through just putting the race route together – we're covering a lot of geography between Kelso and Felixstowe – and then we've just seen the race come alive with the crowds. 

"There was a school in South Yorkshire with a crowd of 2,000 students standing by the side of the road, it was just brilliant. 

"We're really now set for a great weekend. We really believe in the race, we've shown a great sense of determination, but we couldn't have done it without the rest of the cycling ecosystem, it's been great for everyone to pull together."

The future of British Continental team Trinity Racing is in doubt due to waning sponsor support and wider financial pressures. 

The team is currently in action at the six-day Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men but, according to a report from journalist Daniel Benson on his substack page, the event could be the team's final competitive outing. 

According to Benson’s report, an increase in running costs, compounded by a reduction in sponsorship funds, has become a major challenge in recent years for Trinity's general manager Andrew McQuaid. 

One sponsor is said to have ended its deal with the team in 2023, while another reduced its financial support this season.   

"It's extremely challenging times for everyone in cycling at the moment and it's incredibly hard to find solutions," McQuaid told Benson.

"This team means so much to me and it's amazing when you think about the talent and the opportunities it has created for so many young riders over the last few years. That said, it's a very tough situation because everyone loves the team but we’re still up against it."

McQuaid later confirmed the situation to Cycling Weekly, saying he had nothing further to add to his team's sponsorship challenges.

Trinity are one of two remaining Continental teams in the British circuit, alongside Cornwall-based Saint Piran. Long-standing squad AT85 Pro Cycling collapsed in spring 2023 after suffering sponsorship setbacks. Ribble Weldtite were in a similar position the previous autumn and also folded as a result. 

At this week's Tour of Britain, Trinity have been on the offensive, and are set to secure the mountains jersey through Callum Thornley, who just has to finish the race to win the classification. The team has also managed two top-10 finishes thanks to Bob Donaldson, runner-up at this year's Paris Roubaix Espoirs.

Originally set up as a cyclo-cross squad, Trinity have rapidly grown a reputation as one of the best under-23 teams in the sport. The team has provided a launchpad for riders such as Tom Pidcock, Ben Turner, Luke Lamperti, Tom Gloag, Ben Healy and Donaldson, who recently signed a two-year deal with WorldTour squad Jayco-AlUla. 

Earlier this year, the future of one of the UK's six women's Continenal team's, Pro-Noctis - 200º Coffee - Hargreaves Contracting, looked uncertain due to sponsorship issues. The team was later saved after its manager emailed a company whose name he saw on the side of a lorry. 

Promising French sprinter Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step) darted to his second victory at the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men on Friday, pipping Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech) in a bunch finish on stage four. 

The 20-year-old, who also won on the opening day, was delivered to the line in Newark-on-Trent by his teammate, former world champion Julian Alaphilippe. Soudal Quick-Step policed moves throughout the day, and capitalised on a strong lead-out by Uno-X to claim the stage win. 

Magnier now counts four professional victories in his first season with the Belgian WorldTour team. 

"I'm super-happy again to take the victory," the Frenchman said afterwards. "It was again a super day with the team. First we controlled the race to be sure it finished with a bunch sprint, and then they put me in a really good position for the final. 

"It was really fast with the tailwind, and in the end I still had the punch to finish off the work of the whole team. I'm really happy to take the victory here." 

Looking ahead to the weekend's final two stages, both also expected to finish in sprints, Magnier added that he would "try to do it again". 

"First I will recover a bit, because I'm really tired," he smiled.

Stevie Williams (Isreal-Premier Tech) continues to lead the race overall by 16 seconds ahead of Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL).

How it happened

Racing in his 11th Tour of Britain, Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) kickstarted the breakaway out of Derby on day four, the event's shortest stage at 138.5km. 

The former British national champion was followed by Rowan Baker (Saint Piran), Scott McGill (Project Echelon Racing) and teenager Liam O’Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) to form a quartet, before Swift dropped back, leaving a trio up the road. 

The front group ripped through the East Midlands countryside, averaging over 41km/h, despite tilting into a headwind. In the peloton, Israel-Premier Tech and Soudal Quick-Step shared chasing duties, holding the gap between one and two minutes. 

Into the final 30km, the breakaway doggedly staved off the catch. First Baker attacked, then McGill, before O’Brien sprung ahead solo, all under the watchful eye of the bunch, just 20 seconds behind. 

The race became agitated inside 20km to go. O’Brien was caught moments after a dash at an intermediate sprint, before Alaphilippe tried a short-lived flyer with 17km remaining. The attacks then multiplied, including a promising one from Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers), but each was patrolled by Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step). 

Careering into Newark-on-Trent, Uno-X led the peloton around a right-hand bend in the final kilometre. Alaphilippe then dragged Magnier to the front, who rounded Vernon to take his second stage win.  

Results

Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men 2024, stage 4: Derby > Newark-on-Trent (138.5km)

1. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, in 3:11:54
2. Ethan Vernon (GBr) Israel-Premier Tech
3. Erlend Blikra (Nor) Uno-X
4. Noah Hobbs (GBr) Groupama-FDJ Conti
5. Matevž Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
6. Bob Donaldson (GBr) Trinity Racing
7. Ethan Hayter (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers
8. Rory Townsend (Irl) Q36.5 Pro Cycling
9. Casper van Uden (Ned) dsm-firmenich PostNL
10. Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, all at same time

General classification after stage 3

1. Stevie Williams (GBr) Israel-Premier Tech, in 11:38:53
2. Oscar Onley (GBr) dsm-firmenich PostNL, +16s
3. Mark Donovan (GBr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, +40s
4. Joe Blackmore (GBr) Israel-Premier Tech, +41s
5. Tom Donnenwirth (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, at same time
6. Louis Sutton (GBr) Great Britain, +1:05
7. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:21
8. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:33
9. Jelte Krijnsen (Ned) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, +1:42
10. Edoardo Zambanini (Ita) Bahrain Victorious, +1:43

Stevie Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) outsprinted Julian Alaphillipe to win stage two of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men in Redcar on Wednesday. The Welshman’s win meant that he also took over the overall lead. 

Williams faced a long sprint for the line against the former two-time World Champion and Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL), but neither rider could match the speed of Williams on the finishing straight on the Yorkshire coast. Alaphilippe was the more aggressive rider on the day, launching a series of attacks on the hilly coastal roads in north-east England, although Williams proved to be the stronger of the two when it mattered. 

After several riders attempted to get away, Williams put in a stinging attack on the second ascent of the steep Saltburn Bank climb which split the lead group. Williams took Alaphilippe and Onley with him while Remco Evenepoel and Williams’ teammate, Joe Blackmore, marshalled the chase group behind. 

With three kilometres to the line, it was trademark Alaphilippe as he began tightening his shoes and shaking out his legs ahead of the final sprint. Williams, however, was not fazed by the Frenchman’s theatrics and held on to take his ninth professional victory. 

After going close in 2023, Williams said post-race that it was a relief to finally win at the Tour of Britain and "get his hands in the air."

"It feels really good, it’s really special to win in the UK," he said. "It was tough. It was raced from far out. From 70 km it was technical, twisty and full of steep climbs. The key was to just be at the front and then when the race opened up we’d be there with numbers. The way the boys rode was superb, they kept me in position and took me into every climb in perfect position. Joe [Blackmore] was unbelievable in the final as well and gave us that extra rider to play with. 

"In the end, the goal was to get me to the line in a small group and then I’d back my sprint and try and see if we could hold on. Obviously it was going to be tough with Alaphilippe, but I just gave it my all, got my head down, and tried to get to the line first."

"The tactic was just to be on the front foot," he added. "It was the kind of race where things could have gotten out of hand pretty quick. In a sprint of three, you just get your head down and try. Then whoever has got the best legs at the end will win. Luckily it was my day today, so I’m just really proud to get it done today and have the jersey to defend for the next few days."

Williams goes into stage three with six seconds on Onley in second place. Alaphilippe is in third, another ten seconds back on the Welshman. 

How it happened

Stage two was expected to be one for the overall favourites, and potentially decisive, even with another four stages left to race. The riders faced 152 kilometres, with three category one ascents to deal with, along the north Yorkshire coast between Darlington and Redcar. 

By the time the final categorised climb of the day, Lythe Bank, arrived, two groups of riders had established a lead over the Soudal Quick-Step led peloton. 

With 52 kilometres to the finish in Redcar, an eight-man group containing Trinity Racing’s Callum Thornley - an escapee on stage one - had an advantage of 44 seconds over the second group on the road which contained plenty of firepower. Joe Blackmore (Israel-Premier Tech), Ben Swift (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) were present in the eleven rider strong move.

Once the peloton began Lythe Bank, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) launched an attack which pulled several riders away with him, including Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Pidcock of Ineos Grenadiers. The Evenepoel led attackers rapidly caught the group containing Joe Blackmore who now had his teammate Stevie Williams with him. Pidcock was then distanced from the group due to the high pace set by the Quick-Step trio of Alaphilippe, Evenepoel and Gil Gelders. 

Thornley was first over Lythe Bank which ensured he extended his lead in the mountains classification. Alaphilippe and Evenepoel did not relent and eventually got back on terms with the Thornley led lead group. Due to the infernal pace set by Quick-Step, Pidcock continued to drop away from the leaders, but the Yorkshireman still had Ben Swift present alongside him in support. The two riders were more than 30 seconds down on the leaders with 40 kilometres to go. 

Alaphlippe attempted to split the lead group on the punchy terrain, but Joe Blackmore and Williams were alert to every acceleration from the former two-time World Champion. The Israel-Premier Tech pair pushed on themselves as the race headed towards Saltburn Bank, but Alaphilippe was able to instantly respond. Including Alaphilippe, Williams and Blackmore, seven men remained up ahead as the race entered the finishing circuit. Evenpoel and Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) soon joined the head of the race to form a nine man group. 

Alaphilippe and Blackmore continued to both launch attacks, but neither rider was able to get away as Saltburn Bank approached once more. Stevie Williams put in an explosive move on Saltburn which only Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL) could follow. Alaphlippe eventually got across to the attack. 

The three riders continued to pull away from the chasers into the final kilometres. Williams then had the edge in the three up sprint for the line and held off Alaphilippe for the stage win. 

Results

Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men 2024 stage two: Darlington > Redcar (152 km)

1.Stevie Williams (Gbr) Israel-Premier Tech, in 3:37:25
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step,
3. Oscar Onley (Gbr) dsm-firmenich Post NL, at same time
4. Joe Blackmore (Gbr) Israel-Premier Tech, +21s
5. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step,
6. Louis Sutton (Gbr) Great Britain,
7. Tom Donnenwirth (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale,
8. Mark Donovan (Gbr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, all same time
9. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:27
10. Matevz Govekar (Slo) Bahrain Victorious, at same time

General classification after stage two

1. Stevie Williams (Gbr) Israel-Premier Tech, in 7:49:00
2. Oscar Onley (Gbr) dsm-firmenich Post NL, +6s
3. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +16s
4. Mark Donovan (Gbr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling, +31s
5. Joe Blackmore (Gbr) Israel-Premier Tech,
6. Tom Donnenwirth (Fra) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale,
7. Louis Sutton (Gbr) Great Britain,
8. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, all same time
9. Paul Magnier (Fra) Soudal Quick-Step, +1:27
10. Julius Johansen (Den) Sabgal-Anicolor, +1:28