S14 Ep135: From Michaelgate to the Borders: The 2026 Tour of Britain Men

With the Vuelta a España pausing for its second rest day before the final week resumes on Tuesday, Lionel Birnie and Graham Willgoss get together to recap the 2026 men's Tour of Britain.

Five days of racing took the peloton from Lincoln, famous for hosting one of the greatest single-day races on the British calendar, to the Borders of Scotland. We also discuss two riders at opposite ends of their career – Ben Swift, who completed the Tour of Britain in his 18th and final season as a professional rider, and Ben Wiggins, who is aiming for a pro contract and raced very aggressively on the final day to secure a place in the overall top ten for the young Great Britain team. Graham talks to Wiggins, son of the 2013 Tour of Britain champion, Bradley, about his week on the road and aim for the upcoming World Championships, where he will ride the under-23 time trial.

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DVine Cellars 2026 Vuelta wine selection
As always at the Grand Tours, we've teamed up with DVine Cellars of London to select a case of six wines produced close to the race route, for your enjoyment. UK listeners can buy the case here https://dvinecellars.com/products/cycling-podcast-la-vuelta-2026 . The wines are as follows:

• Stage 5: (Falset – Roquetes) – La Servera, Garnatxa (No Sulphites Added), Montsant [Red]
• Stage 9: (La Vila Joiosa – Alto de Aitana) – Casa Balaguer, Vino Blanco, Alicante [White]
• Stage 10: (Alcaraz – Elche de la Sierra) – Bodegas Parra Jiménez, 'Larutan' Tempranillo, Castilla [Red]
• Stage 11: (Cartagena – Lorca) – Casa Castillo, Monastrell, Jumilla [Red]
• Stage 15: (Palma del Río – Córdoba) – Alvear, '3 Miradas' Vino de Pueblo Blanco 2022, Montilla [White]
• Stage 18: (El Puerto de Santa María – Jerez de la Frontera) – Bodegas Barbadillo, 'Toto' Palomino Brut, Jerez [Sparkling]

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In Loving Memory of Finlay Tarling
Following the tragic death of Finlay Tarling in stage 8 of the Volta a Portugal, a fund has been set up, with the blessing of his parents and in Finlay’s name, with the goal of providing an opportunity to help future generations of young Welsh riders. You can contribute here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-fin-s2u87

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The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.