A 160km route taking in multiple Borders communities and the Lammermuir Hills will provide the final test for the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men on Sunday 6 September.
Spectators in Earlston will be able to see the race on no fewer than four occasions during the day, as it hosts the start, two 19km laps at the end of the stage, and the final sprint for the finish line.
Route detail
Departing Earlston towards Smailholm, the last stage of this year’s Tour, which attracts some of the world’s leading professional cycling teams and riders, heads towards Kelso, turning off just before the town to take in Hume, Greenlaw, Charterhall and Duns.
A challenging sector then faces the riders in the Lammermuir Hills, passing the Whiteadder Reservoir before a climb to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank.
After descending into Greenlaw and on to Gordon, the race heads back to Earlston. The riders will then have two circuits of a 19km lap, taking in Smailholm, before the race concludes in Earlston and the next Lloyds Tour of Britain men’s champion is crowned.
World's best set for Borders
Recent editions of the Tour of Britain have attracted some of the top professional cycling teams and riders, including world and Olympic champions across a range of disciplines, such as Wout Van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Tom Pidcock and Julian Alaphilippe.
Kelso’s Oscar Onley competed on home soil in the 2022 and 2024 races, with Peebles’ Callum Thornley spending much of the Scottish Borders stage in 2024 at the front of the race.
More information
More information and event details will be published on the Tour of Britain website and on our own dedicated Tour of Britain webpages over the coming weeks.
Councillor Scott Hamilton, Executive Member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders
“Once again we have a fabulous Scottish Borders stage of the Tour of Britain and lots of opportunities to see the race, especially in Earlston, Greenlaw and Smailholm.
“This will be the first time that we have ever hosted the final stage of the Tour, so it will be a fantastic occasion, and I am sure that we’ll see a large crowd in Earlston, enjoying not just the racing but other entertainment and activities throughout the whole day.”