British Cycling says first two stages of Tour of Britain will be most 'challenging' in race's history

British Cycling believe that the first two stages of this September’s Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men will be the toughest in the race’s history. 

In a press release detailing the full routes of the opening two stages, it was revealed that the peloton will face 5,000 metres of elevation gain in the Scottish borders and northern England. 

Stage one starts and finishes in the town of Kelso on 3 September. The riders will face 181 kilometres of racing as they pass through Coldstream, Gordon, Melrose, Denholm, Jedburgh and St Boswells before heading back to the finish. It also will include two ascents of the 6.2% average gradient Dingleton climb in the Eildon hills as well as several other climbs. 

British Cycling Events, the national governing body’s newly-formed major events arm, say that the stage one route will feature two loops, enabling spectators to see the action on two occasions in Kelso, Melrose, Dingleton and on the Scot’s View climb. 

British Cycling took over the running of both the men’s race and Tour of Britain Women after the demise of the former race organiser, SweetSpot, earlier this year. 

Stage two on 4 September will see the race head into northern England. Starting in Darlington, the peloton will face a series of ascents in the Cleveland hills, North Yorkshire moors and around Robin Hoods bay during the 152 km test. 

Most notably the second stage will feature two ascents of Saltburn bank which featured in the road races during the last two editions of the British national championships. 

Ethan Hayter was recently crowned as the male British national road champion after beating Lewis Askey to the top of the climb. Pfeiffer Georgi won the women's title for the second consecutive year. 

"The Scottish Borders has a long history with the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men," race director Rod Ellingworth said.

"With five categorised climbs this will be a tough opening stage, and is by no means certain to end in a sprint, so should set up a thrilling battle between the sprinters and those riders who believe the final climb at Dingleton can be a launchpad to victory in Kelso."

"I've no doubt that the closing kilometres of racing, with the double ascent of Saltburn Bank, will be among the most spectacular in this year's Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Men," Ellingworth added regarding stage two. 

With the first two stages ticked off, the race will head south with stages in South Yorkshire, the East Midlands and Northamptonshire, before wrapping up in Felixstowe on 8 September after the six days of racing. 

Felixstowe played host to the race last year with Wout van Aert taking victory on the seafront in the Suffolk town. 

Further route details for the rest of the race are expected to be announced in the weeks ahead.

Speaking in February this year, managing director for British Cycling Events Jonathan Day said that British Cycling were open to the possibility of the Tour of Britain Men becoming a WorldTour event in the future. 

He said: "I think it's something we'd be super interested in, absolutely. I think we're expecting to see some reform in terms of the International calendar in probably the not too distant future. So we'll be keeping a close eye on that. 

"Then we will obviously be liaising with the UCI and building that relationship up in terms of what that could mean for these events going forward. So I think we're really open minded about it. But if it's right for the events and right for the sport then absolutely."