The 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women will start in Cockermouth, Cumbria, and end in Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, British Cycling confirmed this morning.
The 11th edition of the WorldTour race will return to taking place over five days from Wednesday 19 August to Sunday 23 August, with its position in the calendar shifting from June to late summer. The route for the men’s race was announced earlier this week.
Stage one will start and finish in Cockermouth, the first time the women’s race has been there, although the men’s Tour of Britain has visited before.
Next on the menu is Lancashire, with stage two from Clitheroe to Blackpool, with both again hosting the men’s Tour, but never the women’s equivalent. The last time Blackpool hosted an elite bike race, Mark Cavendish won on the promenade.
The third stage takes place entirely within Wales, with the day beginning in Mold, and finishing in Llandudno, on the Great Orme. This hilly test will present a different challenge to 2024, when Lotte Kopecky won on the sea front in Llandudno. Wout van Aert won atop the Great Orme in 2021 in the men’s race, beating Julian Alaphilippe.
The next day, the race heads back to England from Wales, with stage four starting in Llanidloes, Powys, before heading to Hay-on-Wye. The final day starts and finishes in Leamington Spa, a town where Chloe Hosking and Sarah Roy have won before.
“We are excited to be bringing the prestigious Lloyds Tour of Britain Women to these fantastic locations in August,” Jonathan Day, the director of events for British Cycling Ventures, said. “For the first time, there is parity in the number of stages with the men’s race a couple of weeks later, so it is a huge opportunity to create a real festival of cycling, with the women’s race kick-starting a brilliant few weeks of world class road racing.
“We are bringing new hosts and stages in Mold, Llanidloes, and Hay-on-Wye, and it is fantastic to return to previous hosts of the Tour in Cockermouth, Clitheroe, Blackpool, Llandudno and Leamington Spa, bringing real variety to each of the stages as we head across England and Wales.
“On behalf of British Cycling Ventures, I would like to say a huge thank you to our partners across the five stages for supporting the hosting and delivery of this August’s landmark race and enabling us to bring a 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 Women 2026 stage table
|
Stage |
Date |
Route |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Wednesday, 19 August |
Cockermouth > Cockermouth |
|
2 |
Thursday, 20 August |
Clitheroe > Blackpool |
|
3 |
Friday, 21 August |
Mold > The Great Orme, Llandudno |
|
4 |
Saturday, 22 August |
Llanidloes > Hay-on-Wye |
|
5 |
Sunday, 23 August |
Royal Leamington Spa > Royal Leamington Spa |
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