As the 20th edition of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men approaches, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most challenging openings in the race’s history.
The first two stages are set to provide a dramatic and picturesque start to the race. With challenging climbs, scenic routes, and opportunities for both sprinters and puncheurs, these stages will lay the foundation for what promises to be an exciting and unpredictable Tour.
We take a closer look.
Stage 1 | Kelso to Kelso | Tue 3 September
The first stage is a tough 181.9 km journey that starts and ends in the historic town of Kelso. The stage is designed to be as spectator-friendly as it is demanding for the competitors, looping through scenic towns and countryside, ensuring fans can catch the action multiple times.
Kelso is Oscar Onley territory. The talented young Scot was born in Kelso, and keen Strava observers will notice he holds many of the local KOMS, especially where the roads rise.
The race begins in the heart of Kelso, heading east along the picturesque River Tweed to Coldstream before turning north and west through Greenlaw and Gordon. The first significant challenge arises with the ascent to Scott’s View, a 2.5 km climb averaging a 2.5% gradient. Marked as a category 3 climb, this will be the first rendezvous for riders targeting the King of the Mountains (KoM) competition. The race then head into Melrose for the first of two passes, taking in the first intermediate sprint of the race.
The riders barely get to pause for breath before they hit the second KoM point of the stage, the tougher category 2 climb at Dingleton, a 2 km stretch with a 6.2% gradient that promises to test the riders’ early resolve.
After tackling Dingleton, the route continues south to Denholm, featuring the day’s third KoM climb at Dunion Hill. This 3 km climb, with a 5.4% gradient, will push the peloton further before they descend into Jedburgh and then return to Kelso via the River Teviot.
The riders will face another round of the intermediate sprint in Melrose and the KoM climbs at Scott’s View and Dingleton. The final ascent of Dingleton, just 23 kilometres from the finish, could be the launchpad for a decisive move, setting the stage for a thrilling finish on the cobbled streets of Kelso.
Rod Ellingworth, the Race Director, highlights the challenging nature of this stage, noting its potential to disrupt the sprinters and favour those who can endure the climbs: “With five categorised climbs this will be a tough opening stage, and is by no means certain to end in a sprint, so should set up a thrilling battle between the sprinters and those riders who believe the final climb at Dingleton can be a launchpad to victory in Kelso.“
Stage 2 | Darlington to Redcar | Wed 4 September
The following day the race moves south – and over the border – to Darlington for a 152 km trek to Redcar. It has been 15 years since Darlington last hosted the Tour, and this stage is set to be a memorable return, weaving through the Tees Valley and into the North York Moors National Park.
From Darlington- scene of the national circuit race championships in June – the peloton will head east through Middleton St George, Eaglescliffe, and Yarm, reaching the first intermediate sprint in Stokesley.
As they enter the rugged terrain of the North York Moors, the riders will face a series of unclassified climbs around Commondale, Castleton, and Danby. The first major climb of the day looms above Ugglebarnby. It is officially a category 1 KoM climb, 1 km in length and averaging over 8%. VeloViewer, however, suggests the challenge is even greater, with a 1.8km stretch averaging almost 10%.
After this, the route plunges down to the coast at Robin Hood’s Bay before rising again via Raw Pasture Bank, another category 1 KoM climb that starts from almost sea level with a 7.5% gradient, according to the organisers.
The scenic route continues north past the iconic Whitby Abbey and descends into the picturesque town of Whitby.
The final categorised climb, Lythe Bank, awaits the riders as they ascend 1.7 kilometres at a 7.7% gradient from Sandsend. The race then heads past Staithes into Redcar & Cleveland, where the peloton will tackle a lap featuring the roads used in the recent British National Road Race Championships.
Two ascents of Saltburn Bank, a punishing 300-metre climb with sections as steep as 22%, could be the decisive moments of the stage. It is well-known to the domestic peloton as the climb to the finish line for the last two national road race championships, as well as the East Cleveland Classic. The second ascent, coming within the final ten kilometres, is likely to spark aggressive attacks and potentially determine the stage winner.
The final stretch runs along the exposed North Sea coast from Marske-by-the-Sea to Redcar, where wind could add an extra layer of difficulty before the race concludes at Zetland Park.
Ellingworth describes this stage as relentless, with its series of challenging climbs shaping the general classification battle. The dramatic closing kilometres and the double ascent of Saltburn Bank promise to be some of the most spectacular moments of the Tour.
Ellingworth’s view is that: “The tough opening to this year’s Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men intensifies on stage two with another day that is relentless up and down as we cross the Tees Valley and the North York Moors. Two years ago, the climbs in this area provided decisive in the race and we are sure they will once again shape the overall general classification battle.”
As the 20th edition of the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men approaches, anticipation is building for what promises to be one of the most challenging openings in the race’s history.
The first two stages are set to provide a dramatic and picturesque start to the race. With challenging climbs, scenic routes, and opportunities for both sprinters and puncheurs, these stages will lay the foundation for what promises to be an exciting and unpredictable Tour.
We take a closer look.
Stage 1 | Kelso to Kelso | Tue 3 September
The first stage is a tough 181.9 km journey that starts and ends in the historic town of Kelso. The stage is designed to be as spectator-friendly as it is demanding for the competitors, looping through scenic towns and countryside, ensuring fans can catch the action multiple times.
Kelso is Oscar Onley territory. The talented young Scot was born in Kelso, and keen Strava observers will notice he holds many of the local KOMS, especially where the roads rise.
The race begins in the heart of Kelso, heading east along the picturesque River Tweed to Coldstream before turning north and west through Greenlaw and Gordon. The first significant challenge arises with the ascent to Scott’s View, a 2.5 km climb averaging a 2.5% gradient. Marked as a category 3 climb, this will be the first rendezvous for riders targeting the King of the Mountains (KoM) competition. The race then head into Melrose for the first of two passes, taking in the first intermediate sprint of the race.
The riders barely get to pause for breath before they hit the second KoM point of the stage, the tougher category 2 climb at Dingleton, a 2 km stretch with a 6.2% gradient that promises to test the riders’ early resolve.
After tackling Dingleton, the route continues south to Denholm, featuring the day’s third KoM climb at Dunion Hill. This 3 km climb, with a 5.4% gradient, will push the peloton further before they descend into Jedburgh and then return to Kelso via the River Teviot.
The riders will face another round of the intermediate sprint in Melrose and the KoM climbs at Scott’s View and Dingleton. The final ascent of Dingleton, just 23 kilometres from the finish, could be the launchpad for a decisive move, setting the stage for a thrilling finish on the cobbled streets of Kelso.
Rod Ellingworth, the Race Director, highlights the challenging nature of this stage, noting its potential to disrupt the sprinters and favour those who can endure the climbs: “With five categorised climbs this will be a tough opening stage, and is by no means certain to end in a sprint, so should set up a thrilling battle between the sprinters and those riders who believe the final climb at Dingleton can be a launchpad to victory in Kelso.“
Stage 2 | Darlington to Redcar | Wed 4 September
The following day the race moves south – and over the border – to Darlington for a 152 km trek to Redcar. It has been 15 years since Darlington last hosted the Tour, and this stage is set to be a memorable return, weaving through the Tees Valley and into the North York Moors National Park.
From Darlington- scene of the national circuit race championships in June – the peloton will head east through Middleton St George, Eaglescliffe, and Yarm, reaching the first intermediate sprint in Stokesley.
As they enter the rugged terrain of the North York Moors, the riders will face a series of unclassified climbs around Commondale, Castleton, and Danby. The first major climb of the day looms above Ugglebarnby. It is officially a category 1 KoM climb, 1 km in length and averaging over 8%. VeloViewer, however, suggests the challenge is even greater, with a 1.8km stretch averaging almost 10%.
After this, the route plunges down to the coast at Robin Hood’s Bay before rising again via Raw Pasture Bank, another category 1 KoM climb that starts from almost sea level with a 7.5% gradient, according to the organisers.
The scenic route continues north past the iconic Whitby Abbey and descends into the picturesque town of Whitby.
The final categorised climb, Lythe Bank, awaits the riders as they ascend 1.7 kilometres at a 7.7% gradient from Sandsend. The race then heads past Staithes into Redcar & Cleveland, where the peloton will tackle a lap featuring the roads used in the recent British National Road Race Championships.
Two ascents of Saltburn Bank, a punishing 300-metre climb with sections as steep as 22%, could be the decisive moments of the stage. It is well-known to the domestic peloton as the climb to the finish line for the last two national road race championships, as well as the East Cleveland Classic. The second ascent, coming within the final ten kilometres, is likely to spark aggressive attacks and potentially determine the stage winner.
The final stretch runs along the exposed North Sea coast from Marske-by-the-Sea to Redcar, where wind could add an extra layer of difficulty before the race concludes at Zetland Park.
Ellingworth describes this stage as relentless, with its series of challenging climbs shaping the general classification battle. The dramatic closing kilometres and the double ascent of Saltburn Bank promise to be some of the most spectacular moments of the Tour.
Ellingworth’s view is that: “The tough opening to this year’s Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men intensifies on stage two with another day that is relentless up and down as we cross the Tees Valley and the North York Moors. Two years ago, the climbs in this area provided decisive in the race and we are sure they will once again shape the overall general classification battle.”
Featured image: Zac Williams/SWpix.com
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