Tour of Britain Women 2026: Where to Watch as the World’s Best Cyclists Race Through the Ribble Valley
The Ribble Valley is about to become the centre of the cycling world.
On Thursday 20 August 2026, some of the finest female cyclists on the planet will roll out of Clitheroe for Stage Two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Women, racing through the Ribble Valley and over some of our best-known local climbs before heading west for a spectacular finish on Blackpool Promenade.
It is the first time the women’s Tour of Britain has visited Lancashire, and with the race forming part of the prestigious UCI Women’s WorldTour, this isn’t simply a domestic cycling event.
The riders coming to Clitheroe are the same stars who contest races such as the Tour de France Femmes, Paris-Roubaix Femmes and the biggest stage races and Classics in world cycling.
For anyone living in the Ribble Valley, it represents a rare opportunity to see world-class professional sport literally passing along our roads – and watching from the roadside is completely free.
Stage Two at a glance
Date: Thursday 20 August 2026
Start: Clitheroe
Start time: 11:30am
Finish: Blackpool Promenade
Estimated finish: 2:39pm
Distance: 110.5km
Total climbing: 1,392 metres
The stage is considerably tougher than a simple ride from Clitheroe to the coast might suggest.
The hardest terrain comes early, with the peloton tackling the hills around the Forest of Bowland National Landscape and Pendle Hill before turning west towards the flatter roads of the Fylde Coast.
That makes the Ribble Valley one of the most interesting places on the entire stage to watch the race.
The route through the Ribble Valley
The peloton starts in Clitheroe, where spectators should get the full professional race experience: team cars, riders preparing for the stage, race officials, television crews and the colourful convoy that accompanies a major international cycle race.
Once racing gets underway, things become considerably more demanding.
The route takes the riders towards Waddington Fell, locally known to many cyclists simply as “Waddie”, before tackling the Nick o’ Pendle.
After negotiating the hills, the race comes back through Whalley before heading west through Longridge and Broughton.
From there the terrain becomes progressively flatter. The riders continue towards the Fylde, turn south at Singleton, pass through Lytham St Annes and then race north towards Blackpool.
The finish comes on Blackpool’s famous Promenade beside the Mirror Ball, where the flatter second half of the stage means a high-speed bunch sprint is a very realistic possibility.
Where are the best places to watch in the Ribble Valley?
There are several very different ways to experience the race.
1. Clitheroe – best for atmosphere
For families and anyone wanting to make a morning of it, Clitheroe is probably the obvious choice.
The stage starts at 11:30am, so arriving well beforehand should give spectators time to find a position and soak up the atmosphere before the riders depart.
A stage start is also very different from simply watching the peloton flash past.
There is time to see riders and teams preparing, watch the race organisation spring into action and enjoy the build-up before the flag drops.
Clitheroe also has the advantage of public transport. The railway station and bus interchange are close to the town centre, while Ribble Valley Borough Council operates several town-centre car parks, including long-stay parking at Holden Street.
Organisers are advising visitors to allow additional time and check the latest road information before travelling.
2. Waddington Fell – best for seeing the riders under pressure
If you want to see professional cyclists doing something that looks genuinely difficult, Waddington Fell should be high on the list.
Known affectionately as “Waddie” by local riders, it forms part of the demanding opening section of the stage through the Forest of Bowland.
Climbs are excellent places to watch professional cycling because the peloton slows considerably compared with a flat section of road. Instead of the entire race disappearing past in seconds, spectators have a better opportunity to see individual riders and watch the race beginning to split under pressure.
Expect this to be a popular location with cycling fans.
3. Nick o’ Pendle – potentially the spectacular Ribble Valley viewpoint
The Nick o’ Pendle is one of the headline features of Stage Two.
The race’s official route information describes the ascent as 1.9km long with an average gradient of 7.6%.
Those numbers only tell part of the story. After Waddington Fell and the surrounding rolling roads, another sustained climb gives aggressive riders an opportunity to increase the pressure.
It could be one of the places where a breakaway establishes itself, where riders struggling from Stage One begin to lose contact, or where teams decide to make life uncomfortable for the pure sprinters.
For spectators, it should also provide one of the most dramatic settings of the day.
Anyone planning to watch on the climbs should arrive early, park well away from the race route and be prepared to walk. Don’t attempt to drive along or park on the race route shortly before the riders arrive.
4. Whalley – a good village option
If standing halfway up a fell isn’t your idea of a day out, Whalley offers another attractive option.
By this point the riders will have tackled the major early climbing and will be heading towards the flatter western part of the course.
Village locations can generate some of the best atmospheres in road cycling, particularly when shops, cafés, pubs and residents get involved.
5. Longridge – another chance to catch the peloton
The route then heads through Longridge on its journey towards Broughton and the Fylde Coast.
Speeds are likely to be considerably higher here than on Nick o’ Pendle, so expect the peloton to arrive – and disappear – remarkably quickly.
That’s part of the spectacle. More than 100 professional riders, followed by team vehicles and the race convoy, can transform an ordinary Lancashire road into something resembling a moving sporting stadium.
The key challenge: Waddington Fell and Nick o’ Pendle
Stage Two contains 1,392 metres of climbing, much of the most significant climbing being packed into the Ribble Valley section.
That creates an interesting tactical problem.
The final run towards Blackpool favours the sprinters, but their teams first have to get them over the Lancashire hills.
Nick o’ Pendle – 1.9km at an average 7.6% – is the obvious test.
A world-class peloton can climb extraordinarily quickly, but repeated hills can still split the race. Strong climbers and attacking riders may try to make the stage difficult enough to distance some of the fastest sprinters.
If everyone comes back together on the flatter roads towards the coast, however, the sprint teams will have plenty of kilometres to organise a chase.
That sets up an intriguing contest: can an escape survive the Ribble Valley hills and stay away, or will the sprinters reel everyone back before Blackpool?
The riders to watch
The quality of the 2026 field makes this year’s race particularly exciting.
Lorena Wiebes is perhaps the most obvious rider to watch with the Blackpool finish in mind. The Dutch SD Worx-Protime superstar is one of the fastest sprinters in women’s cycling and arrives at the Tour of Britain after winning two stages and the green jersey at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes. If Wiebes gets across the Ribble Valley climbs with the leading group, her rivals will not relish the prospect of facing her on Blackpool Promenade.
Alongside her is Lotte Kopecky, a two-time world champion and winner of the Tour of Britain Women in 2024. Kopecky is particularly dangerous because she is capable of surviving hard terrain while also possessing the speed to win from a reduced group.
Defending champion Ally Wollaston returns with FDJ United-Suez after winning the overall Tour of Britain Women title in 2025. Her team comes into the event as one of the strongest squads in women’s cycling.
Another major contender is Kim Le Court-Pienaar of AG Insurance-Soudal, who arrives after winning a stage of the 2026 Tour de France Femmes.
British fans have plenty of home riders to support too.
Reigning British road race and time-trial champion Zoe Bäckstedt lines up for Canyon//SRAM, while her sister Elynor Bäckstedt is also due to race. Other British names on the start list include Pfeiffer Georgi, Millie Couzens, Alice Towers, Lauren Dickson, Jess Roberts and Anna Morris, alongside emerging Great Britain Cycling Team riders.
And keep an eye on Kasia Niewiadoma. The Polish star and Tour de France Femmes winner is among the confirmed starters and is exactly the sort of rider capable of making life difficult when the road heads uphill.
In total, 19 teams are due to compete, including 13 UCI Women’s WorldTour squads. Nine of the world’s top ten ranked teams were included when British Cycling announced the line-up.
Road closures – what residents and visitors need to know
A professional road race of this scale inevitably means temporary road closures and traffic disruption.
British Cycling has now published its Stage Two information and an ETA document showing when the race is expected to pass locations along the route. The organisers specifically advise spectators travelling into Clitheroe to allow extra time and check the latest road-closure information before setting off.
Because timings and traffic arrangements can change, residents should check the official information again shortly before race day rather than relying on an old timetable.
In practical terms, anyone living, working or running a business directly on the route should plan ahead. Avoid assuming you’ll be able to drive across or along the race route immediately before the peloton arrives, and don’t leave spectator parking until the last minute.
For those coming into Clitheroe, train or bus may be the easiest option, particularly given that the railway station and bus interchange are close to the centre.
Important: temporary closure and race-passage timings are operational information and can be updated. Check the official Tour of Britain Stage Two page and Lancashire/Ribble Valley council information before travelling on Thursday.
How early should you arrive?
Professional bike races move fast – and the roads need to be secured before the riders arrive.
For the 11:30am Clitheroe start, we’d suggest getting into town considerably earlier rather than arriving at 11:25 and expecting to park next to the start.
For roadside locations elsewhere on the route, aim to be in position well before the published race ETA.
On Waddington Fell and Nick o’ Pendle in particular, the sensible approach is to arrive early and walk to your chosen viewing point.
Bring suitable clothing too. This is Lancashire in August; sunglasses and waterproofs can both be entirely reasonable preparations for the same afternoon.
Watching a professional cycle race safely
Part of the appeal of cycling is how close spectators can get to the world’s best riders – there are no grandstands or barriers along most of the route.
That also brings some responsibility.
Give riders plenty of space, keep children and dogs under close control, don’t stand in the road as the race approaches and never step into the riders’ path for a photograph.
The peloton may be travelling at very high speed, particularly on descents and the flatter roads.
And while enthusiastic cheering is encouraged, running alongside riders on climbs is best left to spectators at the Tour de France – preferably very far away from the Ribble Valley.
A historic day for cycling in Lancashire
There is a little extra significance to this year’s visit.
Although Clitheroe hosted the men’s Tour of Britain in 2015, when a stage started in the town and finished in Colne, this is the first time the women’s Tour has raced in Lancashire.
And it comes just a year before an even bigger date with professional cycling.
In 2027, the Ribble Valley is set to welcome the Tour de France as Britain hosts the Grand Départ.
So Thursday 20 August offers something of a preview: closed roads, packed villages, television cameras and some of the world’s greatest cyclists racing through the Lancashire countryside.
Make a day of it
The beauty of watching a road race is that you can combine it with exploring the area.
Watch the start in Clitheroe and spend the rest of the morning enjoying the town. Pick a position near one of the villages and combine the race with lunch. Or put on your walking boots and head towards one of the climbs for a proper roadside cycling experience.
Local businesses along and close to the route should see increased footfall, so spectators can also use the occasion as an excuse to support Ribble Valley cafés, pubs, shops and other independents.
The race itself may pass in minutes, but the build-up and atmosphere can last for hours.
Thursday 20 August: save the date
Whether you’re a committed cycling fan or wouldn’t know a derailleur from a domestique, this is one of those occasions worth making the effort to see.
Thursday 20 August 2026 will bring Olympic champions, world champions, Tour de France Femmes stage winners and some of Britain’s best riders onto the roads of the Ribble Valley.
The racing starts in Clitheroe at 11:30am, heads into our hills to tackle Waddington Fell and Nick o’ Pendle, returns through Whalley and heads onwards towards Longridge, before the riders make their charge for the coast and an expected finish in Blackpool at around 2:39pm.
Pick your spot, get there early and give the peloton a proper Ribble Valley welcome.
Useful link: The latest route, timings, race ETA and spectator information are available on the official British Cycling Stage Two page. Official Stage Two – Clitheroe to Blackpool information
