Tour of Britain Men to open in Lincoln, home of the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix
British Cycling has revealed the host venues for the 2026 men's Tour of Britain: a five-stage route up the east of the country, from a first Lincoln start in more than 30 years to a debut finish in the Borders town of Earlston.
Lincoln needs no introduction to followers of British road racing. Every May it hosts the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, one of the most important races on the domestic calendar. On Wednesday 2 September, it will stage the opening day of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men—the first time a national Tour has visited the city in more than 30 years.
The host venues confirm a route that runs up the eastern side of the country before crossing into Scotland for the finish. The five stages are:
Stage 1 (Wednesday 2 September): Lincoln–Lincoln
Stage 2 (Thursday 3 September): Boston–Skegness
Stage 3 (Friday 4 September): Hull–Beverley
Stage 4 (Saturday 5 September): Helmsley–Leyburn
Stage 5 (Sunday 6 September): Earlston–Earlston
From the Lincoln opener, the race heads to the Lincolnshire coast at Skegness, picks up the East Yorkshire shoreline between Hull and Beverley, then crosses from the North York Moors to the Dales between Helmsley and Leyburn before its Borders conclusion.
The North Yorkshire leg looks the most demanding of the five. When the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority confirmed its hosting in March, organisers signalled the day would be a climber’s stage, taking in the region’s hills between the Moors and the Dales.
This is a five-stage race for the first time, reduced from six. The change brings the men’s event into line with the women’s race, which grows from four stages to five in 2026 as part of British Cycling’s move to parity across the two Tours. The women’s race runs from 19 to 23 August, a fortnight before the men’s.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
The Lincoln start carries its own history. The city was a regular host of the Milk Race from the 1960s until 1992, while Skegness, which takes the stage two finish, last saw a Milk Race stage conclude in 1991.
Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures, said taking the race to Lincoln for the first time would be “special for the opening stage of the men’s race.”
Earlston is also new to the race. The Scottish Borders has hosted the Tour repeatedly over the past two decades, but the market town, around 45 minutes from Edinburgh, has not held a start-finish before. The finish lands a year before the region’s biggest cycling date: Scottish Borders Council will stage the majority of the opening stage of the 2027 Tour de France on Friday 2 July.
Detailed stage routes will follow in the coming weeks, British Cycling said, with the host locations for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women to be confirmed soon. British Cycling, citing research by GSIQ, put the cumulative economic impact of the 2025 Tours at £62.3 million across their ten stages.
For now the frame is set: five days, three English counties and a Scottish finish, opening in a city British racing already knows well.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Lincoln needs no introduction to followers of British road racing. Every May it hosts the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, one of the most important races on the domestic calendar. On Wednesday 2 September, it will stage the opening day of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men—the first time a national Tour has visited the city in more than 30 years.
The host venues confirm a route that runs up the eastern side of the country before crossing into Scotland for the finish. The five stages are:
From the Lincoln opener, the race heads to the Lincolnshire coast at Skegness, picks up the East Yorkshire shoreline between Hull and Beverley, then crosses from the North York Moors to the Dales between Helmsley and Leyburn before its Borders conclusion.
The North Yorkshire leg looks the most demanding of the five. When the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority confirmed its hosting in March, organisers signalled the day would be a climber’s stage, taking in the region’s hills between the Moors and the Dales.
This is a five-stage race for the first time, reduced from six. The change brings the men’s event into line with the women’s race, which grows from four stages to five in 2026 as part of British Cycling’s move to parity across the two Tours. The women’s race runs from 19 to 23 August, a fortnight before the men’s.
The Lincoln start carries its own history. The city was a regular host of the Milk Race from the 1960s until 1992, while Skegness, which takes the stage two finish, last saw a Milk Race stage conclude in 1991.
Jonathan Day, Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures, said taking the race to Lincoln for the first time would be “special for the opening stage of the men’s race.”
Earlston is also new to the race. The Scottish Borders has hosted the Tour repeatedly over the past two decades, but the market town, around 45 minutes from Edinburgh, has not held a start-finish before. The finish lands a year before the region’s biggest cycling date: Scottish Borders Council will stage the majority of the opening stage of the 2027 Tour de France on Friday 2 July.
Detailed stage routes will follow in the coming weeks, British Cycling said, with the host locations for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women to be confirmed soon. British Cycling, citing research by GSIQ, put the cumulative economic impact of the 2025 Tours at £62.3 million across their ten stages.
For now the frame is set: five days, three English counties and a Scottish finish, opening in a city British racing already knows well.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
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