The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women gets underway this Wednesday, with the five stages starting in Cumbria, taking in the hills of Wales and finishing next Sunday in Leamington Spa. There's an additional stage from last year's race, which was won by New Zealander Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez).
Stage 3, on Friday, has a hilltop finish on Great Orme outside Llandudno, but Saturday’s stage 4 looks to be the toughest, with 2,227m of climbing across 138km through central Wales. It is likely to set up the final victory overall on Sunday.
A total of 19 teams will compete, comprising six domestic teams and 13 Women’s WorldTour teams. The 2024 winner Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) is due to start, alongside teammate Lorena Wiebes, fresh from her green jersey success and two days in yellow at the Tour de France Femmes.
Wollaston is set to ride the race again this year, as well as Kim Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal), who animated many stages of this year’s Tour de France Femmes, winning stage 6.
Stage 1: Cockermouth to Cockermouth
- Wednesday 19 August
- 158.9km
- 1,913m elevation gain
Stage 1 takes in some ups and downs on the way to Whitehaven. That’s followed by a flat run up the Cumbrian coast to Silloth, including 700m of cobbles, before the race heads inland to Wigton. It then takes in the western edge of the Lake District, with a series of significant climbs and a punchy finishing circuit.
Stage 2: Clitheroe to Blackpool
- Thursday 20 August
- 110.5km
- 1,392m elevation gain
The climbing is front-end loaded on today’s stage and includes Waddington Fell and Nick o’Pendle. The second half of the route is a flat run-in to Blackpool, finishing on the Promenade.
Stage 3: Mold to Great Orme
- Friday 21 August
- 104.7km
- 1,927m elevation gain
A short stage of ups and downs through north Wales, culminating in a summit finish on Great Orme, with a 2.5km final climb averaging 6.1%, but with maximum gradients of up to 15%.
Stage 4: Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye
- Saturday 22 August
- 138.0km
- 2,227m elevation gain
The toughest stage of this year’s race heads to Rhayader, before looping through the Elan Valley, followed by more ups and downs as the route heads into the Welsh borders for a flattish run-in to Hay-on-Wye.
Stage 5: Royal Leamington Spa to Royal Leamington Spa
- Sunday 23 August
- 123.8km
- 1,386m elevation gain
The final stage route loops north from Leamington Spa, before heading south for two sharp climbs on the northern edge of the Cotswolds as it heads back to finish in the town.
How can I watch the Women’s Tour of Britain 2026?
The race will be broadcast live on TNT Sports, with stage starts scheduled for 11am or 11.30am UK time and, as usual, there’s an on-demand option. This year, there does not appear to be any free-to-air coverage.
A TNT Sports/HBO Max subscription costs £25.99 per month when billed annually. It’s available on a range of platforms, including tablets, mobile, TV with Chromecast, or AirPlay, Android TV or Apple TV.
