World’s best to compete in Lloyds Tour of Britain Women
Nineteen teams will compete for the green jersey at the five-stage event which takes place between19-23 August 2026, with a record equalling number of UCI Women’s WorldTour teams headlining the line-up.
Thirteen UCI Women’s WorldTour teams will take to the start line in Cockermouth, hoping to cross the finish line in Royal Leamington Spa five days later as Lloyds Tour of Britain champions. The 2025 team champions FDJ United-Suez will look to defend their title, after their rider Ally Wollaston won overall last year. They head into the race as the number one ranked team in the UCI World Rankings (as of 6th July).
Stage 2 of the route goes from Clitheroe in Lancashire to Blackpool on the Lancashire coast. Details here.
Nine out of the world’s top ten ranked teams will be participating, including the Movistar Team of 2025 runner-up Cat Ferguson, two-time overall winners Lidl-Trek, and the CANYON//Sram squad of newly crowned national road race champion Zoe Backstedt. Britons Millie Couzens and Flora Perkins’ Fenix-Premier Tech team will make their first appearance at a Lloyds Tour of Britain Women’s race, whilst Liv AlUla Jayco and Team SD Worx – Protime return, having featured in every edition since 2014, the latter of whom are the most successful team in the race’s history with 15 stage wins and three overall victories.
Home fans can also look forward to seeing four British registered UCI Continental teams, comprising of DAS-Hutchinson, Handsling Alba Development Road Team, Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team, and O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes. Each of the Continental teams have a wealth of up-and-coming talent and rising stars in their squads, that crowds at each stage can look forward to watching compete with the best in the world and potentially causing an upset.
Full team lineup:
UCI Women’s WorldTour Teams: AG Insurance-Soudal (Belgium), Canyon//SRAM (Germany), FDJ United-Suez (France), Fenix-Premier Tech (Belgium), Human Powered Health (USA), Lidl-Trek (Germany), Liv AlUla Jayco (Australia), Movistar Team (Spain), Team Picnic PostNL (Netherlands), Team SD Worx – Protime (Netherlands), Team Visma | Lease a Bike (Netherlands), UAE Team ADQ (UAE), Uno-X Mobility (Norway). UCI Women’s Continental Teams: DAS – Hutchinson (Great Britain), Handsling Alba Development Road Team (Great Britain), Hitec Products – Fluid Control (Norway), O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes (Great Britain), Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team (Great Britain).
The Great Britain Cycling Team will also field a squad, who secured a top 10 individual finish in the general classification with Couzens last year.
Speaking on the announcement, Alice Wood, Race Director for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, said: “We are thrilled to announce this year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Women team line-up, which brings together an exciting mix of elite teams and ambitious development squads. The strength of the teams announced today promises highly competitive racing from the start in Cockermouth to the finish in Royal Leamington Spa.
“The distinguished reputation of the Tour continues to attract the very best riders in the world. I have no doubt these teams will produce some iconic racing, that will undoubtedly inspire the future generations of cyclists in this country and the communities they will be battling for the crown through.
“We are looking forward to welcoming the teams to what we know will be a fantastic edition of the Tour, building upon an extremely successful edition last year and showcasing both the best of Britain and the best of cycling.”
Performance Director and Team Manager of Handsling Alba Development Road Team, Bob Lyons, commented: “The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women is a huge highlight for us. It is our only WorldTour race on home soil and a unique chance for our sponsors, supporters and anyone taking an interest in the team to see us race in person.
“With a route running from Cumbria down to Warwickshire and a proper climb on the Great Orme, it’s a great test for the riders in a talented field. The five stages will provide exactly the kind of experience and exposure our team needs to continue to pioneer athlete development to elevate riders to the Women’s WorldTour.”
This year’s race will mark the first time the women’s event has held five stages, bringing it level with the number of stages of the men’s race for the first time in the event’s history. Interested in volunteering at the Lloyds Tour of Britain? You can register your interest here and play a part in the biggest free to spectate event in the UK.
Find out more about the Lloyds Tour of Britain here.