Description
September 2, 2026
22nd Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2026 🇬🇧 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 1 – Lincoln – Lincoln : 182,5 km
Tour of Britain is a UCI stage race that runs across mixed British terrain,
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September 2, 2026
22nd Lloyds Tour of Britain Men 2026 🇬🇧 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 1 – Lincoln – Lincoln : 182,5 km
Tour of Britain is a UCI stage race that runs across mixed British terrain, combining flat finishes, rolling countryside, steep punchy climbs, and occasional technical city circuits into a varied and often weather-sensitive test. The course can shift quickly from open, wind-exposed roads to narrow rural lanes or short uphill finales, so positioning and adaptation are central throughout the week. Riders must handle crosswinds, changing conditions, and repeated accelerations, while teams work to protect leaders, control breakaways, and manage the race across different stage types. Typical stage profiles range from sprint opportunities on flatter days to selective uphill finishes, lumpy transition stages, and decisive mountain-style efforts in the harder editions. The race dynamics are shaped by team depth, recovery over multiple days, and the ability to respond to late attacks or sudden splits. Finishes can come as bunch sprints, reduced-group contests, solo wins, or time-based results depending on the stage. It is a race defined by variety, tactical control, and resilience across changing terrain.
Britain’s Lewis Askey won the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Men on Wednesday, the NSN rider attacking on the cobbles of the Michaelgate climb and riding clear to victory.
Filippo Ganna (Netcompany Ineos) came home second, two seconds down, while Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was third.
Askey had set up a 12-man break which formed on the second of four 13km finishing laps around the start and finish city of Lincoln, leading the group which contested the finish. With their lead over a four-man chase group more than 1:30 on the last lap, the group began attacking each other, though no one was able to go clear.
As the race approached the final ascent of the short, steep, cobbled climb of Michaelgate into the centre of Lincoln, Wellens attacked first, gapping his rivals briefly, before Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) made his move. Through the Belgian looked to have done enough, Lewis Askey countered on the cobbles, catching the Vermeersch and riding away to the win.
A thrilling day out on the Lincoln Grand Prix course
To create parity with the women’s race, this year’s Tour of Britain Men reduced from six to five stages, with Wednesday’s opening day starting and finishing in Lincoln.
The 156.1km race took the peloton north, into the hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds before heading south to tackle four full laps of a circuit around the city centre. Featuring the narrow cobbled climb of Michaelgate, the race used the similar circuit as the British National Series race, the Lincoln GP, though the finish line was just outside the city centre, on a flat road, adding a different dynamic to the lap.
After a lengthy neutralised section which took the peloton outside the city limits, the attacks began the moment the flag dropped, with riders from the race’s eight third division Continental teams particularly aggressive.
After 10km six riders escaped, Michal Schuran (United Shipping), Jonah Killy (Tarteletto-Isorex), Oscar Schempp (Bike Aid), Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg (Lucky Sport), Asger Røjbek (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm) and the only British rider in the group, Adam Lewis (APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery) quickly building a lead of 1:30.
Behind them three of the five WorldTour teams in the race, Netcompany Ineos, Soudal-QuickStep and Decathlon CMA CGM set to work holding the leading group close, the deficit settling around 1:20.
By the time the break reached the the back end of the circuit for the first time, they had lost two of their number, and with Netcompany-Ineos upping the pace behind, their lead was down to 30 seconds at the top of the climb. They were eventually caught towards the end of the first full lap, with 42km remaining.
On the second ascent of Michaelgate, Askey put in a huge attack, the NSN rider drawing a group of 12 clear, and with all the WorldTour teams represented, cooperation behind was difficult. By the time that group reached the finish line with two laps to go, they led a chasing group of four by almost one minute.
On the penultimate ascent of the cobbled climb, Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling) upped the pace, though the group remained together, their lead at 1:30 as the final 13km circuit began.
Askey executed his plan to perfection to take his first win of 2026 with an assured ride up a climb he surely knows well, claiming the leader’s jersey too.
With such a punchy circuit to close the race, there were some huge time gaps on the general classification, with the 12th placed rider over two minutes down with four stages to go.
Results :
 ME - Stage 1 </strong> - Lincoln - Lincoln : 182,5 km
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Tour of Britain is a UCI stage race that runs across mixed British terrain, combining flat finishes, rolling countryside, steep punchy climbs, and occasional technical city circuits into a varied and often weather-sensitive test. The course can shift quickly from open, wind-exposed roads to narrow rural lanes or short uphill finales, so positioning and adaptation are central throughout the week. Riders must handle crosswinds, changing conditions, and repeated accelerations, while teams work to protect leaders, control breakaways, and manage the race across different stage types. Typical stage profiles range from sprint opportunities on flatter days to selective uphill finishes, lumpy transition stages, and decisive mountain-style efforts in the harder editions. The race dynamics are shaped by team depth, recovery over multiple days, and the ability to respond to late attacks or sudden splits. Finishes can come as bunch sprints, reduced-group contests, solo wins, or time-based results depending on the stage. It is a race defined by variety, tactical control, and resilience across changing terrain.
Britain's Lewis Askey won the opening stage of the Tour of Britain Men on Wednesday, the NSN rider attacking on the cobbles of the Michaelgate climb and riding clear to victory.
Filippo Ganna (Netcompany Ineos) came home second, two seconds down, while Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was third.
Askey had set up a 12-man break which formed on the second of four 13km finishing laps around the start and finish city of Lincoln, leading the group which contested the finish. With their lead over a four-man chase group more than 1:30 on the last lap, the group began attacking each other, though no one was able to go clear.
As the race approached the final ascent of the short, steep, cobbled climb of Michaelgate into the centre of Lincoln, Wellens attacked first, gapping his rivals briefly, before Florian Vermeersch (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) made his move. Through the Belgian looked to have done enough, Lewis Askey countered on the cobbles, catching the Vermeersch and riding away to the win.
<strong>A thrilling day out on the Lincoln Grand Prix course</strong>
To create parity with the women’s race, this year’s Tour of Britain Men reduced from six to five stages, with Wednesday’s opening day starting and finishing in Lincoln.
The 156.1km race took the peloton north, into the hills of the Lincolnshire Wolds before heading south to tackle four full laps of a circuit around the city centre. Featuring the narrow cobbled climb of Michaelgate, the race used the similar circuit as the British National Series race, the Lincoln GP, though the finish line was just outside the city centre, on a flat road, adding a different dynamic to the lap.
After a lengthy neutralised section which took the peloton outside the city limits, the attacks began the moment the flag dropped, with riders from the race’s eight third division Continental teams particularly aggressive.
After 10km six riders escaped, Michal Schuran (United Shipping), Jonah Killy (Tarteletto-Isorex), Oscar Schempp (Bike Aid), Simen Evertsen-Hegreberg (Lucky Sport), Asger Røjbek (BHS-PL Beton Bornholm) and the only British rider in the group, Adam Lewis (APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery) quickly building a lead of 1:30.
Behind them three of the five WorldTour teams in the race, Netcompany Ineos, Soudal-QuickStep and Decathlon CMA CGM set to work holding the leading group close, the deficit settling around 1:20.
By the time the break reached the the back end of the circuit for the first time, they had lost two of their number, and with Netcompany-Ineos upping the pace behind, their lead was down to 30 seconds at the top of the climb. They were eventually caught towards the end of the first full lap, with 42km remaining.
On the second ascent of Michaelgate, Askey put in a huge attack, the NSN rider drawing a group of 12 clear, and with all the WorldTour teams represented, cooperation behind was difficult. By the time that group reached the finish line with two laps to go, they led a chasing group of four by almost one minute.
On the penultimate ascent of the cobbled climb, Rick Pluimers (Tudor Pro Cycling) upped the pace, though the group remained together, their lead at 1:30 as the final 13km circuit began.
Askey executed his plan to perfection to take his first win of 2026 with an assured ride up a climb he surely knows well, claiming the leader's jersey too.
With such a punchy circuit to close the race, there were some huge time gaps on the general classification, with the 12th placed rider over two minutes down with four stages to go.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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