Belgium's Tim Wellens secured overall victory at the 2026 Tour of Britain, finishing ahead of Great Britain's Lewis Askey in second place. Nils Politt of Germany claimed the final stage honours on the 156.1km route through Earlston.
Wellens began the concluding stage with a 21-second advantage over Askey and managed to extend his lead to 42 seconds by the finish line. Despite crossing the line 21 seconds behind stage winner Politt in eighth position, the Belgian rider's cushion proved sufficient to claim the overall title.
Askey completed the final stage 40 seconds behind Wellens but successfully defended his second-place finish. Belgium's Jasper Stuyven rounded out the podium in third, finishing 21 seconds adrift of the British rider.
The British contingent featured prominently in the final standings. Elliot Rowe secured sixth place overall, while Mark Donovan finished ninth and Ben Wiggins claimed tenth position.
The final stage carried particular significance as the peloton paid tribute to Ben Swift, the 38-year-old British cyclist who recently announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2026 season. Riders formed a guard of honour in his honour before the stage began.
Politt's stage victory marked a significant return to winning form for the German rider. He launched his decisive attack with just under nine kilometres remaining, initially seeing off Wiggins before extending his advantage to claim the stage win—his first since 2022.
