Nearly a quarter of a million people watched the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women on the official YouTube channel across the five-stage event, which was five times higher than the 2025 edition, showing the accelerated growth, ambition and reach of women’s sport in the UK.
After an unforgettable week on the road, the sporting spectacle not only reached a large and new audiences on television and online, but thousands of people lined the streets across the country, connecting communities with the joy of cycling and bringing an elite event to their doorstep.
The women’s race – one of the most prestigious on the WorldTour calendar – featured nine of the world’s top ten ranked teams with some of the world’s best riders battling out for the jerseys. It was also the first time the women’s event has had parity with the men’s race in number of stages, and over five incredible stages running from Cockermouth to Royal Leamington Spa, viewers tuned into see the impressive Kim Le Court-Pienaar secure her first stage race Tour win and become the first African to win the race.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 21/08/2026 – Cycling – UCI Women’s World Tour – 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women – Stage 3: Mold to The Great Orme (104.7km) – ( ? ) of (DAS-Hutchinson)
Darren Henry, Managing Director of British Cycling Ventures, said,
“At such an exciting time for women’s sport, it was fantastic to see some of the best riders in the world racing on British roads. It was equally encouraging to see the audience for the race continue to grow, with our live YouTube viewership more than five times higher than last year.
“Reinforced through the coverage across our broadcast partners ITV and TNT Sports, and through our growing network of international broadcast partners, the 2026 edition has taken the Tour to fans around the world.
“When we took on the Tour in 2023, we had a clear ambition to grow the women’s race and ensure parity with the men’s event. Expanding from four to five days this year means both races will now take place over five stages, an important milestone for the Tour and one we’re really proud to have achieved.”
Following on from the successful women’s event, the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins on Wednesday 2 September in Lincoln, before moving to Boston and Skegness for stage two. A pair of stages in Yorkshire then follow, with stage three starting in Hull and ending in Beverley, with stage four taking in the Yorkshire Dales from Helmsley to Leyburn, before the race will concludes in Earlston in the Scottish Borders on Sunday 6 September.
Fans have the opportunity to take on the roads themselves through our Ride the Route sportive in North Yorkshire on Sunday 30 August, or at the Lloyds Tour of Britain Family Cycling Festival in East Park in Hull on Friday 4 September, which will bring families together and held inspire more people to get on a bike.
Find out more about the Lloyds Tour of Britain here.
