Home rider Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling) stormed up the cobbles of Michaelgate in Lincoln to take an impressive and hard-won victory on stage one of the Tour of Britain Men.
The Midlander attacked from a select group of riders that included Filippo Ganna (Netcompany-Ineos), plus Florian Vermeersch and Tim Wellens (both UAE Team Emirates-XRG), which had prised itself clear in the last 40 kilometres.
Ganna was second after a concerted chase, just two seconds back, with Wellens third.
“I’ve been pretty close quite a few times this year, like at Nationals," Askey said on the NSN Cycling website after the race. "I’ve had a couple of seconds, a couple of thirds. So to come away with a win and put my hands up in the air, I think that’s why I ride my bike. I’m so happy to be able to do that again this year.”
Having no teammates in the break had been "difficult to manage", he said, because other teams had strength in numbers.
“I knew if I got to the last time of the climb, I had been feeling really good for the last week or so, and knew I’d have the legs to be able to do a good effort and at least be close to the win," he said. "I just needed to get myself in that position. I thought it had nearly gone at the end, but yeah, I managed to have the legs to bring it back in the final.”
The 182.5km stage both started and finished in Lincoln, and included five ascents of the cobbled climb of Michaelgate in the city centre – an ascent made famous by the annual Lincoln Grand Prix.
With the finish line situated just beyond, it seemed inevitable that the Michaelgate cobbles would be instrumental in deciding the day's winner, and so it proved. A longstanding six-rider breakaway was caught with around 40km to go, just before the second pass of the climb, and as the race hit the cobbles it ignited.
Matteo Trentin (Tudor Pro Cycling) and Askey were the first to strike, dragging with them some of the best riders in the race. Ganna, Vermeersch and Wellens were all there too, plus Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) and five others, making up a group of 11.
They worked well together until the last 10km when Wellens, clearly on a good day, began attacking. The Belgian was unable to make anything stick though, and it was ultimately his countryman Vermeersch who appeared to have made the winning move, with a blistering attack two kilometres out.
But he had not counted on Askey's sheer will to win, and with his family looking on, he emptied the tanks up Michaelgate to leave Vermeersch standing and take a memorable win.
Tour of Britain Men 2026, stage 1: Lincoln > Lincoln, 182.5km
1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 4:02:44
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +2s
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, at s.t.
4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +9s
5. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM
6. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, both s.t.
7. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +11s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +19s
9. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, at s.t.
10. Paul Wright (Nzl) Modern Adventure Cycling, +26s
General Classification after stage 1
1. Lewis Askey (Gbr) NSN Cycling, in 4:02:31
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Netcompany-Ineos, +9s
3. Tim Wellens (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +11s
4. Daan Hoole (Ned) Decathlon CMA CGM, +20s
5. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling, +21s
6. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, +22s
7. Florian Vermeersch (Bel) UAE Team Emirates-XRG, +24s
8. Elliot Rowe (Gbr) Great Britain, +32s
9. Rick Pluimers (Ned) Tudor Pro Cycling, at s.t.
10. Paul Wright (Nzl) Modern Adventure Cycling, +39s
