Tim Merlier wins Tour of Britain sprint as huge cycling race finishes in Skegness
Share
Belgian sprint star Tim Merlier powered to victory on Skegness seafront as Stage Two of the 2026 Lloyds Tour of Britain brought world-class professional cycling through the Lincolnshire coast.
Skegness has hosted a dramatic finish to the Lloyds Tour of Britain, with Belgian sprinter Tim Merlier racing to victory on Grand Parade on Thursday afternoon.
The second stage of Britain's leading men's professional cycle race started in Boston before travelling around 180km through Lincolnshire and along the coast, culminating in a high-speed sprint beside the Skegness seafront.
Merlier, riding for Soudal Quick-Step, proved strongest from a reduced front group and crossed the line ahead of Olav Kooij, with Sam Bennett taking third place.
The victory came after a fast and increasingly tactical stage which saw the race split during the closing kilometres.
Stage One winner Lewis Askey finished safely with the leading group and retained the overall race lead.
The route brought riders through a large section of eastern Lincolnshire before reaching the coast at Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea and continuing south towards Skegness.
Crowds gathered along the route and around Grand Parade for what was the first modern Tour of Britain stage finish in Skegness.
The resort had prepared a full day of activity around the race, with a Tour village in Tower Gardens and special artwork displayed around the town.
A series of giant land-art installations was also created along the Stage Two route, including a Jolly Fisherman-inspired design and a Tennyson-themed artwork in Skegness.
The finish gave spectators the opportunity to see some of international cycling's leading riders at close range, with Merlier arriving in Lincolnshire as one of the most accomplished sprinters in the field.
His victory was his tenth of the 2026 season.
The Tour of Britain now leaves Lincolnshire, with Stage Three travelling from Hull to Beverley on Friday.
For Skegness, however, Thursday marked a significant sporting occasion as one of Britain's biggest free-to-watch sporting events ended a stage on the Lincolnshire coast for the first time in its modern era.