Stage 4 of the 2026 Tour of Britain Men takes place today, Saturday 5 September, with the race leaving Helmsley for 165.8km through North Yorkshire to Leyburn on the hardest climbing day of the five-stage race.
The riders roll away from Helmsley at 11:00 BST, with the flag expected to drop for the official start at 11:15 BST. UK viewers can watch almost the entire stage live and free, with ITV4 and ITVX on air from 10:50 BST. The official Tour of Britain YouTube channel also carries a free live stream, while TNT Sports 4 and HBO Max provide subscription coverage.
The finish in Leyburn is expected at around 15:20 BST, with ITV4’s live programme running until 15:45.
For anyone unable to watch the full stage, 13:45 BST is the key time to remember. By then the race should be deep into the Yorkshire Dales and approaching the sequence of climbs most likely to decide whether Lewis Askey can keep the race lead from Tim Wellens.
Our full Tour of Britain Men 2026 Stage 4 preview looks at the tactical options available to UAE Team Emirates-XRG and why Wellens does not necessarily need to be their first rider to attack.
Tour of Britain Stage 4 key UK viewing times
| Stage 4 point | Approximate UK time |
|---|---|
| ITV4 and ITVX coverage starts | 10:50 BST |
| Ceremonial rollout from Helmsley | 11:00 BST |
| TNT Sports 4/HBO Max coverage | From around 11:00 BST |
| Official race start | 11:15 BST |
| Pateley Bridge and Greenhow Bank | From around 12:40 BST |
| Grassington and Wharfedale | Around 13:00 BST |
| Buckden | Around 13:25-13:45 BST |
| Kidstones | Around 13:35-14:00 BST |
| Aysgarth | Around 13:45-14:15 BST |
| Greets Moss and Grinton Moor sequence | From around 14:00 BST |
| Final run towards Leyburn | From around 14:30 BST |
| Expected finish | Around 15:20 BST |
| ITV4 highlights | 21:00 BST |
The exact timings through the Dales will depend heavily on how aggressively the opening half is raced. Saturday contains 2,699 metres of climbing, so the speed can change substantially once the peloton reaches Greenhow Bank.
How to watch Tour of Britain Stage 4 free in the UK
Stage 4 has extensive free coverage.
ITV4 begins its live programme at 10:50 BST, 25 minutes before racing officially starts, and the same coverage is available online through ITVX.
The official Lloyds Tour of Britain YouTube channel also provides a free-to-view live stream.
For subscribers, the stage is available on TNT Sports 4 and HBO Max.
That gives UK viewers several options without having to join the race halfway through:
ITV4 and ITVX are the simplest free options, while YouTube provides another way to follow the complete stage online. TNT Sports 4 and HBO Max are useful for anyone already using the Warner Bros. Discovery cycling coverage.
ITV4 also has a Stage 4 highlights programme at 21:00 BST.
What time does Tour of Britain Stage 4 start?
The ceremonial start in Helmsley is scheduled for 11:00 BST.
After a short neutralised section, the official race begins at approximately 11:15 BST.
Because ITV4 is on air from 10:50, viewers should see the riders leave Helmsley and the battle to establish the early break.
That could be more interesting than on the sprint stages.
Stage 4 is one of the last realistic opportunities for riders without an overall or sprint objective to win from a breakaway, and the opening roads towards Easingwold, Boroughbridge and Ripon provide plenty of time for a strong group to establish itself before the serious climbing starts.
Photo Credit: GettyWhy Stage 4 matters for the Tour of Britain GC
Lewis Askey has worn the race leader’s jersey since his Stage 1 victory on Michaelgate.
The following two stages did little to disturb the top of the classification. Tim Merlier won Stage 2 in Skegness before Olav Kooij beat Merlier in Beverley on Stage 3.
Askey survived both days without losing his advantage.
Saturday is different.
Tour of Britain GC before Stage 4
| Position | Rider | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Askey | NSN Cycling Team | Leader |
| 2 | Tim Wellens | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | +12s |
| 3 | Matteo Trentin | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | +19s |
| 4 | Daan Hoole | Decathlon CMA CGM | +21s |
| 5 | Jasper Stuyven | Soudal Quick-Step | +21s |
| 6 | Florian Vermeersch | UAE Team Emirates-XRG | +25s |
| 7 | Rick Pluimers | Tudor Pro Cycling Team | +33s |
| 8 | Elliot Rowe | Great Britain | +33s |
| 9 | Paul Wright | Modern Adventure Pro Cycling | +40s |
| 10 | Filippo Ganna | Netcompany INEOS | +1:53 |
Wellens is only 12 seconds behind, but UAE’s greatest advantage may be having Florian Vermeersch only 25 seconds from the lead as well.
Askey cannot simply mark Wellens all afternoon. If Vermeersch attacks and gains 20 seconds, the green jersey suddenly has another GC threat to deal with.
That is what makes the later climbs worth watching even before Wellens makes a move himself.
What will be happening when coverage starts?
ITV4 joins before the riders have even left Helmsley, so there should be no missing part of the tactical story.
The opening section heads away from the North York Moors through Easingwold, Boroughbridge and Ripon before turning towards Pateley Bridge and the Yorkshire Dales.
It is considerably easier than the second half.
Expect teams without a GC contender to attack repeatedly until a suitable break forms. NSN have no reason to prevent riders several minutes down the overall classification from getting clear, provided nobody sufficiently close to Askey slips into the move.
UAE have more incentive to place a rider ahead.
A teammate in the break can become useful once the race fragments later, either forcing NSN to chase or giving Wellens and Vermeersch somebody to work with after an attack.
12:30 BST is a good time to join for the climbing
Anyone who does not want to watch the opening breakaway battle should aim for around 12:30 BST.
The race should then be moving towards Pateley Bridge and the first major climbing test.
From this point onwards, the profile becomes increasingly relevant to the GC.
Greenhow Bank is followed by the roads through Grassington and Wharfedale, then Kidstones, Aysgarth and the succession of climbs towards Greets Moss and Grinton Moor.
There is still more than two hours of racing left, but very little of it is completely straightforward.
Greenhow Bank is where the stage changes
The first serious climb comes out of Pateley Bridge.
Greenhow Bank is around 4km at 7.2%, hard enough for a determined team to start removing domestiques from the race.
That should happen from roughly 12:40 BST onwards, depending on the speed of the opening kilometres.
A Wellens attack here would be surprising.
UAE can achieve more by using their depth to make the climb hard without exposing their best-placed rider.
Nils Politt and Mikkel Bjerg can increase the pressure before the ascent, while Felix Großschartner, Benoît Cosnefroy and Vermeersch give UAE several riders capable of continuing it.
The important thing to watch is not whether Askey is dropped.
It is how many NSN riders are still with him afterwards.
Grassington and Wharfedale can stop the race resetting
After Greenhow Bank, the race drops towards Grassington before turning up Wharfedale.
Grassington should be reached around 13:00 BST, although the timetable could move by 10 minutes or more.
This is one of those sections that can look relatively quiet on the profile while still influencing the result.
If UAE ease off completely after Greenhow, riders dropped on the climb can return to Askey and NSN can reorganise.
If the attacks continue through the valley, there may be no proper reset.
That becomes important with Kidstones and the harder Wensleydale roads still to come.
13:30 BST is when the GC stage should start taking shape
If you want to cut the stage down further, 13:30 BST is a very good time to join.
The riders should be approaching Buckden and Kidstones, with the peloton already carrying the effects of Greenhow Bank.
By now the early break will also have a clear chance of either surviving or being absorbed into the GC battle.
A large group still several minutes ahead could contest the stage separately.
A break sitting only a minute or two clear may instead become part of the tactical game between UAE and NSN.
Photo Credit: GettyKidstones brings another chance to reduce the group
Kidstones is approximately 2.9km at 6.3%, with gradients reaching 12.6%.
The climb should arrive somewhere around 13:35-14:00 BST.
Its overall average is not severe, but the steeper ramps are ideal for increasing the pace and exposing riders already carrying fatigue from Greenhow.
It is also familiar terrain from the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ and the 2019 World Championships.
As with Greenhow, the most likely damage is initially to the support riders rather than the main GC contenders.
If Askey still has Alessandro Pinarello alongside him after Kidstones, NSN remain in a reasonable position.
If he is already isolated, the final hour becomes much more difficult.
13:45 BST is the best time to start watching the decisive part
For anyone who only wants the strongest hour or so of Stage 4, 13:45 BST is the recommended starting point.
At a fast race speed, the riders could already be around Aysgarth.
At a slower pace, Kidstones should still be unfolding.
Either way, the climbs most capable of deciding the Tour are still ahead.
From Aysgarth, the road heads towards Redmire and the harder climbing around Greets Moss before Grinton Moor provides another opportunity to attack.
This is where Wellens, Vermeersch, Jasper Stuyven and Matteo Trentin need to start deciding how they can turn their small GC deficits into an actual race lead.
Greets Moss should show who has the climbing legs
Greets Moss is approximately 4.4km at 6.9% and comes deep enough into the stage for those figures to matter.
The race should reach this part of the course from around 14:00 BST, although a slow first half could push it noticeably later.
UAE have every reason to arrive here with numbers.
Wellens can stay protected while Vermeersch or Großschartner attacks.
That immediately puts Askey in a difficult position.
He cannot allow Vermeersch unlimited freedom when only 25 seconds separates them, but personally closing every UAE move leaves him vulnerable to Wellens.
This is the tactical advantage UAE have been waiting three stages to use.
Grinton Moor could decide who takes the race lead to Scotland
Grinton Moor follows shortly afterwards.
The climb measures around 4.4km at 5.3%, which looks moderate compared with many European mountains. Coming after almost 2,700 metres of total climbing makes it far more significant.
This is likely to be the last obvious place for a GC contender to create separation before the faster run towards Leyburn.
Wellens starts only 12 seconds behind.
Trentin is at 19 seconds.
Stuyven and Hoole are at 21.
Vermeersch is at 25.
None requires a huge attack.
A 15 or 20-second split, particularly with bonus seconds available at the finish, can completely reshape the overall classification.
Anyone only interested in the GC should be watching before Grinton begins.
14:15 BST is already getting late
Waiting until 14:15 BST carries a genuine risk.
If the stage has been fast, the race could already be breaking apart across Greets Moss and Grinton Moor.
This is not a summit-finish stage where viewers can safely tune in for the final 10km and expect the favourites still to be together.
The decisive move may come much earlier.
Once the right group forms, the roads towards Leyburn are suitable for several powerful riders to cooperate and make the gap stick.
Wellens, Stuyven, Trentin and Vermeersch are all riders you would rather see in the group ahead than try to chase on rolling terrain.
The road towards Leyburn could bring riders back
The final major climb does not lead directly to the finish.
There is still a long, rolling run towards Leyburn, which changes the value of a small gap.
A lightweight climber gaining five or ten seconds over the top may struggle to defend it.
A group containing several strong Classics riders is far more dangerous.
That gives Askey some hope even if he loses a few bike lengths on the steepest sections.
He does not need to climb every metre alongside Wellens if he can remain close enough to use his power afterwards.
The problem comes if several teams are represented ahead.
NSN could find themselves doing all the chasing while everyone around Askey has a teammate in the front group.
Photo Credit: GettyAskey is dangerous if everything comes back together
Stage 4 is being treated as Askey’s big defensive test, but he has already shown why simply surviving could be enough to create another opportunity.
His victory in Lincoln came after an aggressive stage and repeated ascents of Michaelgate.
He was still able to produce the strongest acceleration at the finish.
Leyburn does not provide the same cobbled wall, but the final kilometres rise enough to suit a rider with Askey’s characteristics.
If a reduced group arrives together, the race leader can contest the stage rather than simply count seconds behind the faster finishers.
That could matter because the GC gaps are so small.
When will Stage 4 finish in Leyburn?
The central estimate is around 15:20 BST.
Local race information gives a broader finish window of approximately 15:00 to 15:45 BST, so viewers should not assume 15:20 is fixed.
A fast opening or an aggressive chase can move the race forward. The amount of climbing can just as easily push it back.
ITV4’s live programme runs until 15:45 BST, giving enough room for the slower end of the schedule.
If you only want the finish, be watching by 14:45 BST. That leaves enough margin to catch an unexpectedly early arrival and, more importantly, should still show the final tactical moves before Leyburn.
Filippo Ganna has a reason to attack before the finale
Ganna starts the day 1:53 behind Askey after the time he lost on Stage 2.
That leaves him in a very different position to Wellens.
Waiting for the final climb and trying to gain 10 seconds achieves little.
If Netcompany INEOS still want to put Ganna back into the GC contest, they need to make Stage 4 unpredictable.
A long-range attack is much more useful.
Ganna’s power becomes particularly dangerous if he gets over the climbs ahead and reaches the rolling final roads with a small group.
His problem is making sure he is not forced to respond to the pure climbers on their terms later.
Wellens does not have to be UAE’s first move
The most interesting tactical question should surround Vermeersch.
He begins only 25 seconds behind Askey, close enough that NSN cannot give him much room.
That creates the obvious setup for UAE.
Vermeersch attacks.
Askey or his teammates have to chase.
Wellens waits.
If Vermeersch is caught, UAE can try something else.
If he is not, he becomes a genuine threat to the race lead.
Wellens’ 12-second deficit is small enough that he can afford patience. That may be his greatest advantage today.
How Stage 4 fits with Vuelta viewing this afternoon
Cycling fans following both major races have a workable schedule.
Tour of Britain Stage 4 should finish in Leyburn at around 15:20 BST.
The decisive finale of Vuelta a España Stage 14 to Sierra de La Pandera comes later, with the final climb expected to begin around 16:00 BST.
That means it should be possible to watch the Tour of Britain GC battle through to the finish before switching over for Enric Mas, Primož Roglič and Felix Gall on La Pandera.
Even if the Yorkshire stage runs slightly late, there should still be enough time to catch the decisive Vuelta climb.
Best time to watch Tour of Britain Stage 4 today
For viewers watching the complete race, ITV4 and ITVX from 10:50 BST are the easiest options.
If the opening break is less important, join at 12:30 BST for Greenhow Bank and all of the serious climbing.
For the strongest concentration of GC racing, 13:45 BST is the best time to tune in. That should put the race around Kidstones or Aysgarth with Greets Moss, Grinton Moor and the decisive run towards Leyburn still to come.
The finish should arrive at around 15:20 BST, with ITV4 highlights following at 21:00 BST.
Askey has spent the last two days carrying the advantage he won in Lincoln. Today he finally reaches the terrain where Wellens and UAE have enough climbs, enough riders and enough road to try to take it from him.
