Free Lloyds Tour of Britain Women races from Clitheroe to Blackpool
Stage two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women comes to Lancashire on Thursday 20 August 2026, sending riders 110.5km from Clitheroe to the finish on Blackpool’s famous promenade. According to the Visit Lancashire event preview, the race is free to watch, open to the general public and due to feature 114 riders representing 19 teams.
The essentials
- Date: Thursday 20 August 2026
- Start: Clitheroe, Lancashire
- Finish: Blackpool promenade
- Distance: 110.5km
- Cost: Free to watch
- Audience: General public
The 110.5km route runs from Clitheroe to the coast
The Lancashire stage begins in Clitheroe before passing through the Forest of Bowland National Landscape, Longridge and Lytham St Annes. It then reaches Blackpool, where the finish line will be positioned along the resort’s promenade.
That sequence gives spectators a choice between seeing the field near the start, watching it pass through one of the named communities or heading to the coastal finish. The source identifies these places as route landmarks but does not describe designated spectator zones at any of them.
People arranging journeys around the race can also consult the separate Lancashire road-closure guide for 20 August for route-specific planning information.
Three headline riders in a 19-team field
A total of 114 riders from 19 teams are due to start the 2026 race. Current champion Ally Wollaston is listed to return as she seeks to retain her title, while former champion Lotte Kopecky is also among the leading names identified in the preview.
British attention will include national road race champion Zoe Backstedt, who returns to compete on home roads after a season that featured a stage victory at the Tour de Suisse. The wider field includes former champions, previous stage winners, Commonwealth medallists and a Great Britain Cycling Team lineup.
Lancashire hosts stage two of a 635.8km race
The women’s race covers 635.8km across five stages, with riders climbing a stated total of 8,895 metres. Lancashire follows the opening stage on Wednesday 19 August, a 158.9km course beginning and ending in Cockermouth.
After the Clitheroe-to-Blackpool leg, the race moves into Wales for two stages before concluding in Warwickshire. The final 123.8km stage starts and finishes in Royal Leamington Spa, with the overall classification settled beside Jephson Gardens.
Live coverage and the details still to check
The full race will be shown live on TNT Sports. ITV4 and ITVX will carry daily free-to-air highlights, while UK viewers can also stream live coverage of each stage through the Tour of Britain YouTube channel.
The published preview does not provide a start time, booking instructions, dedicated accessibility information or local transport arrangements. It directs readers to separate spectator information for each stage, making that the practical next check before setting out.
Source: Visit Lancashire Blog
Context & actions About this article
Source check How this preview was checked
The date, route, spectator status and rider information were checked against the Visit Lancashire event preview.
- Confirmed the stage date and its Clitheroe start and Blackpool finish.
- Matched the 110.5km route with the named passages through Forest of Bowland, Longridge and...
- Checked the stated field of 114 riders from 19 teams and the featured rider names.
- Source
- Visit Lancashire Blog
- Scope
- Lancashire
- Updated
- 2026-08-18 16:31
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