A fantastic final day of hard racing in the Borders brought this year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men to a conclusion on Sunday, with Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) sealing the overall title.
Double success for top team
Wellens’ teammate in the world’s number one ranked team Nils Politt took the stage honours in Earlston, finishing alone after attacking from a small breakaway on the final lap.
Earlier in the day, the race was split apart as some of the world’s top riders and teams pushed hard through the Lammermuirs, chasing down an initial leading group of four riders.
A selection of images from the day can be found in our Tour of Britain Flickr album.
Councillor Scott Hamilton, Executive Member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders
“We were delighted to welcome the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men back to the Scottish Borders and see so many people in Earlston from start to finish, as well as spectators across the 156km route.
“To host the prestigious final stage of the race for the first time is a great honour for the area and is built upon our longstanding relationship with the race organisers and our partners, which has now seen us host a dozen Tour of Britain stages in the past 17 years, including the women’s race for the first time last year.
“I want to thank VisitScotland for their support to bring the race back to the Borders and I am sure that we will once again have had a significant return on our investment. Finally, I must thank the community of Earlston for their incredible support and cooperation in welcoming the race and so many visitors to the area.”
Race route
Earlston hosted the start and finish of the stage, with the riders departing towards Smailholm and then taking in Hume, Greenlaw, Charterhall and Duns. A challenging sector faced 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 headed back to Earlston for the start of two circuits of a 19km lap before reaching the finish line for the final time.
Commitment to cycling
The South of Scotland is establishing itself as Scotland’s leading cycling destination and in 2023 was awarded UCI Bike Region status from cycling’s governing body, recognising the region’s commitment to both elite cycling competition and cycling for all.
The vision of the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership, of which we are a leading partner, is that by 2032 cycling is embedded into the daily fabric of the lives of residents and experiences of visitors to the region.