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
|
Stage |
Date |
Route |
Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Wednesday, 2 September |
Lincoln > Lincoln |
187.6km |
|
2 |
Thursday, 3 September |
Boston > Skegness |
185.2km |
|
3 |
Friday, 4 September |
Hull > Beverley |
200.6km |
|
4 |
Saturday, 5 September |
Helmsley > Leyburn |
170.5km |
|
5 |
Sunday, 6 September |
Earlston > Earlston |
166.4km |
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