The riders lining up for this year's 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be in for a challenging contest, taking in nearly 900km with 8,814 metres of climbing across the five stages of the race.
The world's best riders will face 878.8km (546 miles) of racing across the stages, which begin in Lincolnshire before moving up the coast to East Yorkshire, then into North Yorkshire, before heading to the Scottish Borders for its conclusion.
Lincoln will host the start and finish of stage one on Wednesday 2 September, bringing Britain's biggest professional men's cycle race to the city for the first time.
With 182.5km and 1,315m of ascent, riders will head out into the Lincolnshire Wolds after leaving Lincoln, passing through Market Rasen before reaching the route's northernmost point at Caistor. They will then travel via Waddingham and Ingham before returning to the city.
After almost 120km of racing, the riders will tackle Michaelgate five times on a finishing circuit based on the famous Lincoln Grand Prix route, one of the most prestigious events in the Lloyds National Road Series. The iconic cobbled climb is expected to provide a thrilling finale and could play a key role in deciding the first race leader.
The five-stage race will begin in Lincoln on Wednesday 2 September before travelling through Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire, North Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders, where the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men champion will be crowned in Earlston.
Cllr Joshua Wells, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said:
"We're incredibly proud to welcome the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men to Lincoln for the very first time. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our historic city to a national and international audience while giving residents and visitors the chance to experience world-class cycling right on their doorstep.
"The atmosphere created by major sporting events is always something special, and with riders tackling the infamous Michaelgate five times, we're expecting great crowds and an unforgettable day that will highlight everything Lincoln has to offer."
Director of Events for British Cycling Ventures, Jonathan Day, said:
“It is always exciting to reveal the stage routes for the Lloyds Tour of Britain, it’s the news fans have been waiting for, so they can plan the best positions to watch the world’s best riders in the UK. We have worked closely with all our stakeholders to design a fantastic route that will ignite the race and create a memorable spectacle for all involved.
“The Tours are one of the largest free to spectate events in Britain, so we are thrilled to be bringing the men’s route from Lincolnshire, through East and North Yorkshire, all the way to Earlston in the Scottish Borders. The route brings unique challenges to the riders, while delivering a backdrop which shows the best of Britain, from the beautiful coastline, across the highways, through our stunning countryside, and up some iconic and challenging categorised climbs.”
Stage Two – Boston-Skegness – Thursday 3 September 2026
After the first stage is complete, on Thursday 3 September, the riders will face a fast stage between Boston and Skegness taking in 185.2km. From the start in Boston, the peloton will ride past Coningsby – the home of the Dambusters during World War Two, who were based at RAF Coningsby, which now plays host to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The riders then head through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle and Wragby, before heading east into the Lincolnshire Wolds, intersecting with the stage one course at Binbrook.
Heading down to Louth, before heading on to the coastal towns of Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea, the race hits one last ascent near Langton Hill, before it drops down for a ferocious sprint into Skegness to decide the day two winners.
Stage Three – Hull-Beverley – Friday 4 September 2026
Departing from Hull on Friday 4 September, the riders will face a 200.6km stage as they head out to the stunning east coast, through Withernsea, up to Hornsea, and onto Skipsea.
As the race heads to Burton Agnes, a series of climbs face the riders as they head around to Driffield before heading downhill into Wetwang as the race gears up for an exciting climax. Once they reach Beverley, the riders will face a 16km circuit with four passages finishing with a testing uphill drag to the racecourse for its conclusion.
Stage Four – Helmsley-Leyburn – Saturday 5 September 2026
North Yorkshire is renowned for its challenging routes and passionate fans, with stage four expected to be a pivotal moment in deciding the 2026 General Classification winner as the riders take on the 170.5km with 2459m of ascent for the hardest stage of the 2026 Tour.
Starting in the market town of Helmsley in the North York Moors National Park, the race will head through Easingwold, Boroughbridge, and the Cathedral City of Ripon before entering the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
A challenging climb out of Greenhow Bank out of Pateley Bridge (4km at 7.2% average gradient), paves the way for the peloton head to Grassington, before it weaves its way up Wharfedale towards Buckden and Cray.
Taking in the spectacular scenery, the riders climb Kidstones (2.9km at 6.3% average gradient), whose maximum 12.6% gradients featured in both the 2014 Tour de France opening stage and the men’s road race at the 2019 UCI cycling world championships, before heading to the iconic Aysgarth Falls. The stage then tackles the climbs of Greets Moss (4.4km at 6.9% average gradient) and Grinton Moor (4.4km at 5.3% average gradient) in quick succession, before the race reaches a thrilling conclusion in Leyburn which is hosting a finish to the Lloyds Tour of Britain for the first time, on what is sure to be a memorable day's racing.
Stage Five – Earlston-Earlston – Sunday 6 September 2026
Earlston will host the start-finish to a Lloyds Tour of Britain stage for the first time, and the route will take in Scottish Borders locations that have been synonymous with the Tour in previous years.
Departing towards Smailholm, the last stage heads towards Kelso, turning off just before the town to take in Hume, Greenlaw and Duns. A challenging sector then faces the riders in the Lammermuir Hills, passing Whiteadder Water before a climb to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank.
Once the race heads back towards Earlston, the riders have two circuits of a 19km lap before the race concludes and the next Lloyds Tour of Britain men’s champion is crowned.
To discover the routes of all five stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men in more detail, and more information about the race and host venues, please click here.
The routes for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women will follow soon.