The 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women will also be the first ever visit of a UCI WorldTour event to Scotland, which the best teams in the world set to line-up for the four-day spectacle.
The race will start on Thursday 5th June with two stages in the North of England, before the final two stages north of the border.
Saturday’s stage three will look familiar to those eagle-eyed cycling fans, sharing the majority of the route of last year’s opening stage of the Tour of Britain Men. Starting and finishing in the Scottish Borders town of Kelso, the riders will also take in the towns of Melrose, Jedburgh and Denholm.
Sunday’s final stage takes in the city centre streets of Glasgow, with riders racing ten laps of an 8km circuit that includes Glasgow Green, St Vincent’s Street, George Square and the Trongate, a throwback to the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, which wowed riders and fans alike.
While the teams riding are yet to be officially confirmed, the race could also mark the first time that Scottish-based UCI Continental Women’s Team, in the form of Handsling-Alba Development Road Team, will race a UCI-level event in Scotland.
Handsling-Alba RT rider and double Olympic medallist on the track, Neah Evans, said of the race finale in Glasgow:
“It’s really exciting that the Tour of Britain is coming to Glasgow. I know the streets very well from my university days here. I started my cycling journey after a taster session at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, so Glasgow is a special place to me for that.
“It’s fantastic that the most prestigious women’s road event in Britain will race around the city and hopefully inspire future generations into the sport.”
Edinburgh-native Lauren Dickson (Handsling-Alba RT) added:
“I’m thrilled that the Tour of Britain Women is coming to our home roads. Racing against a WorldTour peloton in Scotland will be such a unique experience and is a huge target for me.
“Watching the Tour of Britain Men in Kelso last year was very inspiring – especially seeing my partner race – so I’m really excited that we’re getting that opportunity this year!”
On the impact the race will have, Scottish Cycling Chief Executive Officer, Nick Rennie, said:
“It is long overdue that the Tour of Britain Women will visit Scotland, so I’m delighted we have two stages north of the border in 2025. As we saw last year with the men’s race, Kelso knows how to stage a bike race, with brilliant crowds and a true sporting course. Similarly, a final stage in Glasgow will bring back memories of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, and once again expose the people of Scotland to world class bike racing.
“In 2024 we launched a Women & Girls Strategy, aimed at shifting the dial in female participation in cycling, and I hope this event, and the wrap around activations that will come with it, will encourage more women to get back on their bikes, or give cycling a go for the first time.”
Further details of routes, timings and broadcast arrangements will be announced in due course.