Tuesday September 8th 2026
The community in Earlston showing support for the cyclists
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Paul Kelly
People in a Berwickshire town have been praised for their support of a top UK road cycling race.
A fantastic final day of hard racing in the Borders brought this year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men to a conclusion on Sunday, with Belgium’s Tim Wellens sealing the overall title.
Wellens’ teammate in the world’s number one ranked team Nils Politt took the stage honours in Earlston, finishing alone after attacking from a small breakaway on the final lap.
Earlier in the day, the race was split apart as some of the world’s top riders and teams pushed hard through the Lammermuirs, chasing down an initial leading group of four riders.
Extensive physical event spaces were erected right outside local storefronts on Earlston High Street.
This included installing a start/finish gantry, positioning safety barriers spanning 500 meters, setting up a podium area at the bus station, and assembling a massive ‘Tour Village’ for entertainment and activities.
Local traders had braced for a massive spike in foot traffic, given that previous instances of the race brought nearly £2.5 million into the Scottish Borders economy.
Businesses served the spectators who packed the High Street and organizers and locals set up public viewing perks, including big-screen live coverage of the stage, youth cycle skills sessions, and public panel discussions featuring Olympic and Commonwealth athletes.
Tour of Britain peddling through Earlston
Councillor Scott Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s executive member for Economic Growth and Developing the Borders, said: “We were delighted to welcome the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men back to the Scottish Borders and see so many people in Earlston from start to finish, as well as spectators across the 156km route.
“To host the prestigious final stage of the race for the first time is a great honour for the area and is built upon our longstanding relationship with the race organisers and our partners, which has now seen us host a dozen Tour of Britain stages in the past 17 years, including the women’s race for the first time last year.
“I want to thank VisitScotland for their support to bring the race back to the Borders and I am sure that we will once again have had a significant return on our investment.
“Finally, I must thank the community of Earlston for their incredible support and co-operation in welcoming the race and so many visitors to the area.”
Earlston hosted the start and finish of the stage, with the riders departing towards Smailholm and then taking in Hume, Greenlaw, Charterhall and Duns.
A challenging sector faced the riders in the Lammermuir Hills, passing the Whiteadder Reservoir before a climb to Redstone Rig and Duddy Bank.
After descending into Greenlaw and on to Gordon, the race headed back to Earlston for the start of two circuits of a 19km lap before reaching the finish line for the final time.
The South of Scotland is establishing itself as Scotland’s leading cycling destination and in 2023 was awarded UCI Bike Region status from cycling’s governing body, recognising the region’s commitment to both elite cycling competition and cycling for all.
The vision of the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership, of which Scottish Borders Council is a leading partner, is that by 2032 cycling is embedded into the daily fabric of the lives of residents and experiences of visitors to the region.
Tweet Share on Facebook
