Cycling’s Tour of Britain returning to Borders
Cycling’s Tour of Britain is returning to the Borders.
The region will host this year’s closing stage – the only one in Scotland – and it will start and end in Earlston on Sunday, September 6.
It’s the last of five stages beginning on Wednesday, September 2, with one in Lincoln.
The others go from Boston to Skegness in Lincolnshire, Hull to Beverley in East Yorkshire and Helmsley to Leyburn in North Yorkshire.
This year’s Earlston stage will be the men’s tour’s first visit to the Borders since Kelso hosted one in September 2024, though the women’s version did hit the road here, for the first time, in June last year, also at Kelso.
September’s visit to the Borders will be the male tour’s 11th in 18 years.
Its previous visits saw stages begin in Peebles in 2009 and 2013, Jedburgh in 2011 and 2012 and Hawick in 2021 and 2022, stages conclude in Kelso in 2015 and 2017 and Kelso host both starts and finishes in 2019 and 2024.
Announcing this year’s route-map, Jonathan Day, director of events for British Cycling Ventures, said: “We are delighted to be bringing the men’s Tour of Britain Men to these fantastic locations later this year.
“We are bringing new hosts and stages in Lincoln, Boston and Skegness and Leyburn, and it is fantastic to return to previous hosts of the race in Hull and Beverley, Helmsley and the Borders. “I would like to pay thanks to our partners across the five stages for supporting the hosting and delivery of this September’s race and enabling us to bring another memorable and action-packed five days of world-class racing to their communities, spreading the joy of cycling along the route and inspiring more people to get on a bike and live healthier lives.”