The Tour of Britain Is Coming to Lincolnshire, Is Your Business Ready?

Lincolnshire will take centre stage in the cycling world this September when the county hosts the opening two stages of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.

The event begins on Wednesday 2 September 2026, with the first stage starting and finishing in Lincoln. The following day, riders will travel from Boston to Skegness, taking the race through market towns, rural communities, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the coast.

As one of Britain’s largest free-to-watch sporting events arrives in the county, it could create valuable opportunities for Lincolnshire’s hospitality, tourism, retail and leisure businesses.

The question is: will your Lincolnshire business be ready to make the most of it?

What Is Happening in Lincolnshire?

The 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will begin with two consecutive days of racing in Lincolnshire.

Stage One: Lincoln to Lincoln

Stage one will take place on Wednesday 2 September, starting and finishing in Lincoln.

The route will leave the city and travel through the Lincolnshire Wolds, passing through or close to locations including:

• Market Rasen
• Caistor
• Waddingham
• Ingham
• Lincoln city centre

The riders will return to Lincoln for a challenging final circuit that includes five climbs of Michaelgate, which has an average gradient of 11.3%. It will be the first time the modern Tour of Britain Men has visited Lincoln, although the city already has a strong cycling heritage through events such as the Lincoln Grand Prix.

Stage Two: Boston to Skegness

On Thursday 3 September, stage two will begin in Boston and finish on the Lincolnshire coast in Skegness.

The announced route includes:

• Boston
• Coningsby
• Woodhall Spa
• Horncastle
• Wragby
• Binbrook
• Louth
• Mablethorpe
• Sutton-on-Sea
• Skegness

After travelling through the Lincolnshire Wolds and along the coast, the stage is expected to end with a fast sprint finish in Skegness. It will be the first appearance of both Boston and Skegness in the modern Tour of Britain.

Why Could the Tour of Britain Benefit Lincolnshire Businesses?

Major sporting events do more than bring competitors into an area. They can also attract spectators, cycling enthusiasts, event teams, volunteers, journalists and visitors. Businesses situated in Lincoln, Boston, Skegness or communities along the routes may experience increased interest before and during the event.

The opportunity could be especially relevant to:

• Hotels, guesthouses and holiday parks
• Pubs, cafés and restaurants
• Independent shops and makers
• Visitor attractions
• Cycle shops and repair businesses
• Taxi and transport providers
• Farm shops and local food producers
• Activity and experience providers

Businesses do not necessarily need to sit directly beside the route to benefit. Visitors may be looking for places to stay, eat, shop and explore throughout the surrounding area. The event will also provide an opportunity to showcase Lincolnshire’s cities, countryside, market towns and coastline to a much wider audience.

Start Preparing Before September

Waiting until the race arrives could mean missing the opportunity to build awareness in advance. People may begin researching accommodation, parking, viewing locations, food and activities several weeks or months before the event. Businesses that prepare their online information early will be in a stronger position to appear during these searches.

Here are some practical ways to get started.

1. Create a Tour of Britain Offer or Package

Consider whether you could introduce a product, service or package connected to the event.

This might include:

• A race-day food or drink special
• A spectator accommodation package
• A cycling-themed afternoon tea
• A special window display
• A locally produced gift or souvenir
• A weekend itinerary combining the race with nearby attractions
• An early opening time on the day of the event

Your offer should still make sense for your business. A simple, relevant promotion will usually feel more authentic than forcing a cycling theme onto an unrelated product.

Be careful when using official event names, logos and branding within commercial products. Check the organiser’s guidance before suggesting that your business or promotion is officially affiliated with the race.

2. Update Your Website

Your website should clearly explain how visitors can find you, what you offer and whether anything will be different during the event.

Check that the following information is easy to locate:

• Opening hours
• Address and directions
• Contact details
• Parking information
• Booking links
• Menus and prices
• Accessibility information
• Delivery or collection options

Businesses close to the route should also prepare for potential road closures, parking restrictions and changes to normal access.

Lincolnshire County Council has created a central Tour of Britain information hub that will include routes, estimated timings, road closures, travel guidance and spectator information as further details are confirmed. Add any important access information to your website rather than relying solely on a temporary social media post.

3. Use Relevant Local Search Terms

Visitors may search for practical information using highly specific phrases, such as:

• Hotels near the Tour of Britain in Lincoln
• Places to eat in Boston
• Cafés near the Tour of Britain route
• Accommodation near Skegness
• Things to do near Louth
• Parking in Lincoln for the Tour of Britain
• Restaurants near the Skegness finish

You do not need to add every possible phrase to your website. Instead, create useful content that naturally includes your location, the services you provide and relevant information about the event.

For example, a hotel could publish a page titled:

Where to Stay for the Tour of Britain in Lincolnshire

A restaurant might create:

Joining Us During the Tour of Britain? Here’s What You Need to Know

The aim should be to answer genuine visitor questions rather than repeatedly inserting keywords.

4. Check Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile may be one of the first things a visitor sees when searching for somewhere to eat, shop or stay.

Before September, check that it includes:

• The correct business name
• An accurate address
• Your current telephone number
• Updated opening hours
• A working website link
• Recent photographs
• The correct business categories
• An up-to-date description

You can also publish Google Business Profile updates in the run-up to the event, particularly when announcing special opening hours, packages or access information.

Make sure your business name, address, contact details and opening hours remain consistent across your website, Google Business Profile, tourism directories and social media profiles. Visit our Useful Marketing Links page to find platforms where you can check and update your local business information.

5. Plan Your Social Media Content

Do not limit your content to a single post announcing that the race is coming.

Build a short campaign around the event. This could include:

• Announcing your race-day plans
• Sharing your location in relation to the route
• Introducing a themed product or package
• Showing preparations behind the scenes
• Highlighting nearby places to visit
• Sharing travel and access information
• Posting photographs or video on the day
• Thanking visitors afterwards

Use location tags and locally relevant hashtags, such as #Lincolnshire, #VisitLincolnshire, #Lincoln, #Boston, #Skegness and the specific town or village featured in your post, but keep your content useful. Someone planning a visit is more likely to engage with a post that answers a question than one that simply says your business is excited.

6. Work With Other Lincolnshire Businesses

Events like the Tour of Britain create opportunities for local collaboration.

Accommodation providers could work with restaurants, attractions or cycle-hire businesses to build visitor itineraries. Retailers might collaborate with Lincolnshire makers on a themed display, while cafés could cross-promote nearby independent shops.

A simple guide featuring several businesses along the route could provide more value than each business trying to promote itself separately.

Collaboration can also help visitors discover more of the county, encouraging them to extend their stay or explore another location.

7. Prepare for Operational Changes

Marketing may attract visitors, but the experience they receive will determine whether they recommend or return to your business.

Think about the practical implications of the event, including:

• Increased customer numbers
• Additional staffing requirements
• Earlier opening hours
• Stock levels
• Temporary menus
• Parking restrictions
• Delivery disruption
• Mobile signal and payment requirements
• Clear signage
• Responding to online enquiries

Do not advertise an event package until you are confident that your business can deliver it.

Do Not Forget the Communities Between the Start and Finish

Lincoln, Boston and Skegness may receive much of the attention, but stage routes will pass through numerous towns, villages and rural areas. Businesses around Market Rasen, Caistor, Coningsby, Woodhall Spa, Horncastle, Wragby, Binbrook, Louth, Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea could also have an opportunity to reach spectators.

Being located outside the main start and finish areas may even be an advantage for businesses able to offer quieter viewing locations, convenient refreshments or accommodation away from the busiest areas.

A Valuable Opportunity to Showcase Lincolnshire

The Tour of Britain will place Lincolnshire’s historic streets, countryside, market towns and coastline in front of a national and potentially international audience.

For local businesses, the opportunity is not simply about making additional sales across two days in September. It is also a chance to introduce new visitors to the county, strengthen local partnerships and create content that continues to promote the area after the riders have moved on.

The strongest campaigns will be those that are planned early, provide genuinely useful information and reflect what makes each Lincolnshire business and location distinctive.

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