After a few years of lost sponsorship and potential cancellation, the Tour of Britain returns for a second year with its new name (up to 2024, it was the Women's Tour). This year's four-stage race is mainly for the sprinters, with three sprinty-type stages and one stage that has some fun little kickers in the finale.
The race has been won on bonus seconds (Elisa Longo Borghini in 2022), it's been won with courageous solo breakaways (Lizzie Deignan in 2019 and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney in 2017), and it's been won convincingly with multiple stages to boot (Lotte Kopecky in 2024). The tacky roads of Britain mean that no matter how tame a course might look, the racing will never be predictable, and this year, in its 10th edition, the start list is looking like a home-country affair.
The Route
Stage 1: Thursday, June 5 - Dalby Forest to Redcar (85.6 km)
The race starts on Thursday with what looks like a sprinter's stage – only 85 km and mostly flat to rolling.
There is one climb in the middle of the stage, a 13 km ascent that averages 2% but has a few steeper sections. The climb stair-steps, so it's not climbing for the entire 13 km, and it's unlikely to challenge any of the big-name sprinters. But elevation isn't the only concern.
The stage passes through North York Moors National Park, so it's sure to be picturesque but also carries some quirks riders will need to be attentive to. PicNic-PostNL's Abi Smith grew up training on the roads that will feature in the opening stage and said, "These roads are hard riding, so despite a flat finish, this terrain could make for an interesting race on day one."
The riders will be introduced to typical British roads, as well. The high hedges, narrow roads and rough tarmac make racing in Britain extremely taxing. Below is an example of the technical roads – riders will have to fight for position for reasons of safety at 52 km and 55 km into the race. They face steep, narrow descents up to -20% in gradient.
The finish runs along the coast of the North Sea for 2.8 km before they sprint into Redcar, so wind could be a factor in those final kilometres as teams are setting up for the finale.
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