Overview
- Stage one on July 2 will start in Edinburgh and finish outside Carlisle Castle after routing through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway before entering Cumberland via Longtown, Brampton and Warwick Bridge.
- Stage two on July 3 will depart Keswick, pass Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere, skirt Morecambe Bay, cross Lancashire and finish on The Strand in Liverpool, with a planned King of the Mountains climb near the Bolton border on Tockholes, Belmont and Rivington roads.
- The full UK routes were unveiled at Leeds Civic Hall, where organisers also confirmed this will be the first time the men’s and women’s races start in the same country outside France, marked by a nationwide “Tour de Skies” illumination.
- British Cycling plans to recruit around 7,000 volunteers for route operations and spectator support, and the event will be free to watch along the course.
- Local clubs, councils and small businesses anticipate a boost for youth participation, tourism and trade, calling it a chance to showcase host communities to a global audience.