The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women starts in the Lake District this Wednesday, with it’s move from May to August making it the last WorldTour stage race in Europe each year. Not only does this put the race slap bang in the middle of holiday season – which should encourage more people out to the road-side – it makes it a perfect block of racing ahead of the world championships in September.
It is also an opportunity for riders to save their season with a final result. This should ensure the riders arrive in the Lake District ready to race. Starting ten days after the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift also means there’s enough recovery time for those coming out of the biggest race on the calendar.
While we look forward to Tour contenders compete in the UK, British fans can breathe a sigh of relief that four domestic teams will get to pit themselves against the world’s best following a UCI rule amendment that could have prevented them from riding.
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The 2025 update meant Continental teams would only get an invite if WorldTour and ProTeams couldn’t fill the spaces on offer. DAS-Hutchinson, Handsling Abla, O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes and Smurfit Westrock will all be at the start in the North-West.
The five stages take the race from the top of the Lake District down the coast to North Wales, through mid-Wales and back into England for a finish in Leamington Spa. Stage one to four all have an interesting parcours which organisers have designed to will encourage aggressive racing over the early climbs as well as toward the finish of the stage. Our full guide to the stages and riders to watch continues over the next nine pages.
(Image credit: SWPix.com / Olly Hassell)
Stage 1: Cockermouth > Cockermouth
Wednesday, 19 August
Distance: 158.9km | Elevation: 1,1913m
Terrain: Hilly
This year’s race kicks off with its longest stage, and potentially the most scenic. As tough an introduction as it is, the riders will probably be grateful that the organisers haven’t set them off on a 100 mile route directly through the Lake District, as today they skirt the north west edge of the mountain range.
But there are still plenty of undulations with non-stop rolling roads in the first 25 miles just the warm up. A flat run up the coast takes them to Silloth where they turn inland for the second half of the stage which features all the major climbs. The key section comes as they leave Wigton after 57 miles and head south east, back towards the mountains and the race’s highpoint of the day at 285m above sea level.
If the pressure goes on from the WorldTour squads, the bunch will break up here and those caught out could lose a lot of time. Once back to Cockermouth they start a finishing circuit just north of Bassenthwaite Lake that climbs for the first half, then descends to the finish.
Stage 2: Clitheroe > Blackpool
Thursday, 20 August
Distance: 110.5km | Elevation 1,392m
Terrain: Flat
Starting in Clitheroe, in the Ribble Valley the riders take on a punchy little loop into the Forest of Bowland to warm their legs up. The first climb of the day, Waddington Fell is also the stage’s highpoint at 354m. From there the peloton drops back down into Clitheroe – blink and you’ll miss them, before heading out the other side of the valley up the Nick O’ Pendle.
While the first third of today’s stage looks tough with those two climbs, the sprinters and their teams have enough road in which to regain the front of the race if they do get dropped. The experienced GC riders will know this, and therefore probably won’t go all out over the two climbs. The second half of the stage is flat, or even slightly downhill all the way to the coast at Lytham, then a sprint finish on the seafront in the shadow of the Blackpool Tower.
Sprinters will like the look of the fast run-in, with the last corner coming at nine kilometres to go. From there, there is just a gentle left-right with 400m to go, but the road should be wide enough to ensure there’s no need to come off the pedals at this crucial point.
The Tour of Britain Women visits Wales in 2024
(Image credit: SWPix.com / Elliot Keen)
Stage 3: Mold > The Great Orme
Friday, 21 August
Distance: 104.7km | Elevation: 1,927m
Terrain: Hilly
Starting in Flintshire, day three sees the race head into the vertiginous terrain of North Wales and towards the Irish Sea, where a sting in the tail awaits, with a steep and stage-defining climb to a dramatic finish atop the towering limestone headland of The Great Orme.
Stage three has a sawtooth profile, with the course crossing the Clwydian Range. After Henllan, the peloton will tackle a stiff ascent to the saddle between Moel Fodiar and Moel Tywysog, and the route reaches its highest point of 386 metres on the western shoulder of Moel Maelogen, after 64km. Approaching Llandudno, however, riders will be confronted with a challenging final climb to The Great Orme, with the last 2.5km featuring an average gradient of 6.1%, with sections hitting 15%.
One of the Tour’s most exciting days, climbers will be looking to collect KOM points and the strongest riders will look to break the race up into smaller groups as the fatigue builds as the final climb might not be enough to gain a race-winning margin.
Stage 4: Llanidloes > Hay-on-Wye
Saturday, 22 August
Distance: 138km | Elevation: 2,227m
Terrain: Hilly
Riding through the centre of Wales to the famous border town of Hay-on-Wye is going to be a testing day, even if there isn’t one climb that will define the stage. The biggest climb takes the riders out of Rhayadar but is too early to shape the stage. The rest of the parcours – which has the most elevation gain of any stage – means that riders are going to have to stay attentive all day as splits could form or moves could go at any point.
The most obvious stress point of the day is the three climbs that come in quick succession at the midway point around Knighton. Lose contact there and it’s a tough chase to the finish as the route continues to undulate for another 30km. Those chasing GC know this is their last chance to gain time, so expect the pressure to be on.
Stage 5: Royal Leamington Spa > Royal Leamington Spa
Sunday, 23 August
Distance: 123.8km | Elevation: 1,386m
Terrain: Flat
The final stage of this year’s race has bunch sprint written all over it as the 1,386 metres of elevation and lack of any major climbs means the top sprinters won’t have any trouble making it back to Royal Leamington Spa. The only climb of any significance is a short bump out of Middle Tysoe after 86km, but gaining just under 100 metres means only the riders struggling after four days of back-to-back racing will be in danger of getting dropped, and that’s only if someone goes to the front and decides to put the pressure on.
But none of that means it’s a day off for the bunch. The team holding the GC lead will have a tough day policing the race while others with nothing to show for their efforts, and knowing that the racing is about to end, will be keen to try and get something out of the stage. The final run-in isn’t without it’s challenges either as two right-hand corners and a left in the final two kilometres will catch out riders in a poor position.
Lorena Wiebes takes to the podium after winning stage four last year
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Lorena Wiebes (27, Ned)
SD Worx-Protime
UCI ranking: 4
2026 wins: 15
Never has there been so dominant a sprinter as Lorena Wiebes. The Dutchwoman wins pretty much every bunch sprint she’s involved in, as long as she doesn’t get disqualified, as happened at the Giro d’Italia Women in May, when her bike was deemed to be too light. Wiebes has an enviable record at the Tour of Britain Women, winning seven stages and the points classification twice over four editions; in fact, she has never not won when she has raced.
Wiebes is more than just a flat track bully, as she has proved in the Classics over the years, but bunch finishes on stage two, four and five will see her enter them as favourite. There’s nothing to stop her from being a GC contender, either, if she can stick with the punchier riders on stage one and three. On her form at the Tour de France Femmes, this is a distinct possibility. Last year she crossed a century of wins, and there is very little holding her back from reaching 150 sooner than later.
Lotte Kopecky (30, Bel)
SD Worx-Protime
UCI ranking: 7
2026 wins: 3
The former world champion might only have won three times in 2026, but when one of those was Milan-San Remo, and another a stage of the Vuelta España Femenina, the Belgian still has it. At the Tour of Britain Women, expect her to target stage wins on the punchier finishes, such as Llandudno’s Great Orme on stage three or the Hay-on-Wye finish on stage four rather than pure sprints, while also supporting Wiebes. She is, of course, a former winner overall, on the one occasion she deigned to ride the race, winning two out of the four stages in 2024 en route to victory.
Kopecky did win in Llandudno on that occasion, so will be looking to keep her 100% record up. At the Tour de France Femmes the Belgian came close to victory on stage three, spending 95km in front of the peloton, while also being a deluxe leadout for Wiebes. Expect her to dovetail these roles in Britain, too.
Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (31, Pol)
Canyon-SRAM
UCI ranking: 5
2026 wins: 1
Somehow still only 31, Niewiadoma-Phinney first raced what was then the Women’s Tour back in 2017, winning her first ever stage and taking overall victory in London. She also finished second in 2019, winning a stage then as well, but has not been back to the race since 2022, when she finished third overall.
So often the nearly-woman of cycling, Niewiadoma is yet to win in 2026, although she finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Strade Bianche, and the Amstel Gold Race, and finished second overall at the Tour de France Femmes last week.
While the course this year is not necessarily tough enough for one of the world’s top climbers to make a difference, little will stop her trying, especially on stages one and three. She might also make an excellent foil for British champion Zoe Bäckstedt, paying back the support she received at the Tour.
Paula Blasi seals Vuelta Femenina victory atop the Angliru in May
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paula Blasi (23, Esp)
UAE Team L’IMAD
UCI ranking: 2
2026 wins: 7
The breakout rider of 2026 so far is undoubtedly Paula Blasi, who in her first full season as a Women’s WorldTour rider, slowly grew into a star. Third overall at the Tour Down Under was followed by a stunning solo victory at the Amstel Gold Race, but it was at her home Grand Tour, the Vuelta España Femenina that Blasi soared. The 23-year-old was second after stage six, but a stellar performance on the Angliru on the final day saw her become the first Spanish winner of the Spanish race.
She went on to win the Tour Féminin des Pyrénées and the Volta a Catalunya, proving that her form was not temporary.
Like Niewiadoma, the hilly rather than mountainous Tour of Britain will not perfectly suit her attributes, but expect her to be visible. It might also be one of her last races for UAE, if reports about her impending transfer are correct. The former runner has never raced in Britain.
Kim Le Court-Pienaar (30, Mau)
AG Insurance-Soudal
UCI ranking: 39
2026 wins: 3
Distinctive in her Mauritian champion’s jersey of green, yellow, blue and orange, Kim Le Court-Pienaar seems a rider perfectly suited to the punchy course of the Tour of Britain.
This was proved last year, when she won stage one to Redcar, escaping with Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Oatly). However, she was forced to abandon on stage three, ending her race early.
The 30-year-old has not had quite the same success in 2026 as last year, when she won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a stage of the Tour de France Femmes in a golden year. This is mainly due to an injury-disrupted spring, as she fractured her wrist at the Tour of Flanders, but she now seems to be back to her best, second on stage one of this year’s Tour, and then winning stage six in Tournon-sur-Rhône.
A win on the Great Orme is not out of the question, and if she wins there, it might mean a first general classification victory for Le Court.
Zoe Bäckstedt (21, GBr)
Canyon-SRAM
UCI ranking: 34
2026 wins: 7
British national road champion for the first time, adding to her double national time trial title success, Bäckstedt will be keen to show off her stripes to home crowds across the week.
There might not be a time trial for the Welshwoman to show her specific skills, but she has proved that she is more than just a one-dimensional rider on the road, winning her first Women’s WorldTour road stage this season at the Tour de Suisse. She has also proved herself adept at winning smaller stage races, triumphing at the Baloise Ladies Tour for two seasons in a row, and could challenge over the punchy Tour of Britain Women.
Last year, she was 26th overall at the end of the week, but with a Tour de France Femmes in her legs this time around, things might be very different. Expect some attacking brio, especially on Welsh roads, if nothing else.
Others to watch
Lauren Dickson leading the pack in the Giro d’Italia earlier this year
(Image credit: Getty Images)
With many teams putting selection decisions on hold until after the Tour de France Femmes, many line-ups were unconfirmed at the time of writing. Last year’s winner Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-Suez) is set to defend her title however. But having not raced since the Tour of Catalunya in mid-June her form remains unknown. The French team will want to bring Lauren Dickson back to her home race after a highly impressive first season in the pro ranks, but this will be dependent on her recovery from a broken collarbone suffered in a crash on stage three of the Tour de Suisse.
British fans will also be hoping to see a return to action for Movistar’s Cat Ferguson. The 20-year-old suffered a double fracture in her ankle when she crashed on the opening stage of the women’s Giro and hasn’t raced since. Three weeks on crutches through June means her return to racing will be low-key.
UAE L’Imad’s Irish champion Lara Gillespie is expected to ride after missing out on selection for the Tour de France Femmes. A solid classics campaign and third place at the Tour of Poland could see her lead the team should Blasi or Elisa Longo-Borghini not ride.
Several of the stages look like they’d suit Lidl-Trek’s sprinter Elisa Balsamo who didn’t take a win at the Tour de France Femmes this year. Likewise EF’s Noemi Rüegg who has been consistent all season but missed a big chunk of racing through June and July after fracturing her arm at the Vuelta.
Home hopes
Anna Morris shows off her IP gold medal at the recent Commonwealth Games
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Fears of Continental teams being prevented from riding WorldTour races under new UCI rules thankfully didn’t come to fruition this year, and four British teams will be lining up for the Tour of Britain Women. A lack of stage racing at this level will not help their riders over the course of the race, but the home advantage might.
Coming late to cycling, Anna Morris is making up for it by hoovering up national and world titles on the track, as well as world records, at an amazing rate. Her results have translated to the domestic road scene too, as she has only once finished a day’s racing outside of the top five this year. She’ll be joined by Jess Roberts in the GB team, who, despite her track focus, has a wealth of experience in stage racing.
Winner of the Rapha Super-League standings Morven Yoeman (DAS-Hutchinson) will look to continue her progression. Since winning the Lincoln Grand Prix, the 22-year-old has enjoyed a steady set of results on the domestic scene as well as a solid ride at the Vuelta a Burgos. A lack of stage racing this season might hold her back a little. Keep an eye out for her teammates Katie Scott and Noemie Thomson too
Handsling Alba will be led by Kate Richardson who has been consistent in both domestic and European racing this year. Last year’s Tour of Britain was her first and only taste of WorldTour racing although she only finished stage one. Another year of experience should see her ready to test herself against the world’s best.
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