Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2026
This race started on September 2nd with the opening stage starting and finishing in Lincoln. Lincolnshire is a famously flat county so having a King of the Mountains classification seems bizarre. Michaelgate is a mediaeval cobbled hill. It covers 240 metres but rises steeply on an uneven cobbled surface which can be trying on a rainy day. The riders must tackle it five times in the course of the day.
There are five stages to the race, with the second taking the riders from Boston to Skegness, a distance of 180.2 km, though not as the crow flies. This is a flat coastal route.
Stage three starts in Hull and ends in Beverley at the racecourse. The fourth stage also occurs in Yorkshire, from Helmsley to Leyburn.
The final stage takes the riders across the Scottish Borders and starts and finishes in Earlston.
The Tour of Britain does not have the allure of the Tour de France or La Vuelta and does not attract high numbers of competitors or spectators. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see local schools and residents turning out to cheer on the cyclists, who pass by in a sizzling flash of highly engineered bikes and colourful lycra and helmets.
I'd never heard of this race but I imagine climbing that cobbled hill would be a chore.
ReplyDeleteI’m always impressed by these athletes and the amount of stamina they must have. I would have a hard time riding 10k on a normal bike let alone what they’re riding.
ReplyDeleteSometimes the lesser known events are even more interesting
ReplyDeleteThat's very impressive.
ReplyDeleteWhat Kathy G said.
ReplyDeleteP.S. sizzling is the perfect description
Sounds like quite an event!
ReplyDeleteFirst I've heard of this race. Years ago, the small city where I worked held a bicycle race in honor of a cyclist, Chris Thater, who was killed by a drunk driver. It was held in a residential neighborhood and my spouse and I started to join the crowds observing it the last few years before it was discontinued. I blogged about it several times. It would have taken place in late August. I miss it.
ReplyDeleteI have never thought about it but it makes sense that there are more races than the most famous one.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up Beverly. I would like Beverly I think. ! Never heard of it before. Looks worthy of a visit, maybe a stay...
ReplyDeleteI do like the lesser known events. This looks quite well organized.
ReplyDeleteThe distance between Boston and Skegness is 23 miles which is far less than 180.2 km. I imagine they'll be following a massive diversion. As for Stage 3, I attended two secondary schools - one in Hull and the second in Beverley. The cyclists will probably dismount to look at my blue plaque.
ReplyDeleteWhy would they think your blue plaque is anything special? They will just whizz by at speed and not even know it is there.
DeleteThe race's fame has not reached here. It's nice to have such an event without the huge hoopla.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of racing in any form, bikes, cars, horses. Not for me. I don't even watch the events on TV. I just hope no one is ever injured.
ReplyDelete