Tour of Britain Preview

After it’s ‘relaunch’ last year, the LLoyds Tour of Britain has re-established itself as the highlight of the UK racing season, being the UK’s only Women’s World Tour Event.

Last year saw the team step up and take the race to the stars of the peloton, grabbing the headlines with solo breakaways by Lucy Harris and Jo earning individual combativity awards and podium presentations, as well as significant TV coverage.

Can 2025 deliver more?

the team line up for 2024’s Lloyds Tour of Britain stage 1

This year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain will include a record number of UCI World teams competing across 4 stages and covering a total of 424 kilometers. Starting in Dalby Forest, North Yorkshire, and moving through the northeast to finish with a circuit race in Glasgow City Centre.

A total of eighteen teams will compete in this the largest Tour of Britain Women to date, with twelve UCI Women's World Tour teams, including the current top ranked team and that of last year’s winner, Team SD Worx-Protime. In fact thirteen of the world's fifteen best teams will take to the start line, along with five British UCI continental teams, including ourselves.
This impressive lineup shows the efforts put into the Lloyds Tour of Britain over the last 18 months and it is hoped that future editions will continue to highlight both top British teams and global talents.

The Tour of Britain 2025 is expected to be one of the few major races available for live viewing, making it crucial for domestic teams to gain visibility.

Organisers promise exciting names this year, including star riders like Lorena Wiebes, Kristen Faulkner, and notable British cyclists such as Lizzie Deignan, Anna Henderson, Eleanor and Zoe Backstedt, as well as rising talents like Cat Ferguson and Imogen Wolff.

The Tour of Britain is the ultimate test for the team and all the girls are desperate to go head to head with the world's very best, we will of course be sharing the team lineup in due course.

Stage 1

The opening stage of the Tour of Britain takes place on Thursday the 5th of June with the peloton rolling out of Dalby forest to cross the North York Moors National Park and finish in Redcar.
Today's route of 81.5 kilometres includes 2 Queen of the Mountain climbs averaging no more than 5% and a single sprint point before the flat finish, along the coast and familiar to fans of the Great North Run.

The first half of the stage, over the North York Moors and taking in some spectacular but exposed roads could well see a break-away or two but surely we’ll see everything come back together for a fast bunch sprint into Redcar, all eyes then on SD Worx-Protime and Lorena Wiebes.

Our very own Lucy Harris celebrates her hard earned combativity award in last year’s 1st stage

Stage 2

The second stage on Friday the 6th of June sees the race head north to the Tees Valley for a 114 kilometre stage beginning in Hartlepool and finishing on the now familiar Saltburn Bank.
The day’s route takes in a loop around Middlesbrough, including two laps of a circuit around Skelton and Lingdale including a Queen of the Mountains climb to Skelton. Again with a gradient averaging just 4.5% we're likely to see a large group contest the final 15% climb into Saltburn and just like recent races in the National Rd Series and National Championship, Saltburn bank is likely to determine the winner of this stage.

With the home riders now very familiar with Saltburn’s steep gradients and tight switch-backs, will we see someone spring a surprise on the World Tour Teams and climb to victory?

2024 Tour of Britain in the Welsh hills

Stage 3

Jo attacks the front of 2024’s Tour of Britain stage 3

Stage 3 on Saturday the 7th of June moves up to Kelso in the Scottish Borders, featuring a route covering 144 kilometres that is sure to see big crowds as it snakes through and re-visits Melrose, passes through Jedburgh and returns to Kelso.

With two ascents each of the Queen of the Mountains climbs at Scott’s View and the Category 1 Dingleton climb, we could see the climbers take centre stage before the return to Kelso to cross the finish line on the cobbled Market Square.

Will the five climbs and an ever rolling route suit the climbers in the peloton today or will there be enough time after the second climb up Dingleton for the race to come back together for another sprint to the finish?

Stage 4

A cold and wet conclusion to last year’s Tour of Britain

The race concludes on Sunday the 8th of June with a stage consisting of 10 laps of an 8.4 kilometre circuit around Glasgow City centre. With a predominantly flat circuit, narrow streets, and some tight turns this stage is sure to be an exciting spectacle with dynamic racing and sprint points on laps 4, 6 and 8. Let’s hope that unlike last year, spectators stay dry and the weather doesn’t affect the race’s final stage.

Tight turns, narrow streets and constant changes of direction will surely leave numerous opportunities for attacks and, after three days of tough riding already in the legs, we could see the race spread across Glasgow.
After the scheduled early finish allowing for public access to the circuit upon completion, who will be celebrating over lunch in Scotland’s busiest City?

We’ll be on site with the team throughout the Lloyds Tour of Britain to bring you all the latest updates and behind the scenes news.

What would you like to see and where?

Let us know via the comments below what you’d like to see and how from the race, social media updates, live images, behind the scenes details?

all words and photos by Adam Winfield, Through the Lens