Races in Great Britain and the USA

Great Britain and the United States are among the most dynamic cycling markets outside the classic European core. While continental Europe has been shaped for over a century by Monument classics and Grand Tours, distinct traditions have developed on the island and in North America: from British stage races with changing regions to Californian coastal profiles and gravel mega-events in Kansas to ultra-endurance rides across the USA. For professional teams, amateurs and fans, both countries offer a broad spectrum – from UCI WorldTour events to unique endurance formats.

The boom in British cycling after the 2012 London Olympics and the growing popularity in the USA – driven by WorldTour races, gravel and triathlon – have made both nations internationally visible. Today, Great Britain and the USA are not only hosts of top-class competitions, but also exporters of talent, teams and innovative event formats.

Why Great Britain and the USA matter on the calendar

Both countries fill strategic gaps in the global race calendar. Great Britain offers challenging stage races with varying route profiles in late summer – parallel to races in Germany and Central Europe. The USA delivers races on American soil in spring and high summer, when the European season runs between classics and Grand Tours.

Common characteristics of both cycling markets

1. Media reach: English-language broadcasts reach a global audience beyond the European core market.
2. Route diversity: From flat coastal stages through rolling hills to high mountains in Colorado and Utah.
3. Amateur ecosystem: Gran fondos, sportives and mass-participation events create a broad base below professional sport.
4. Culture of innovation: Gravel racing, ultra-endurance and new event formats emerge more frequently in the USA than in traditional cycling nations.
5. Olympic and world championship tradition: Both countries have hosted the Olympic Games and world championships multiple times.

Anglophone cycling markets at a glance

Great Britain: stage races and classics culture

Great Britain has a long cycling history – from early six-day races in London to the successes of British riders at the Tour de France since the 2010s. The national flagship is the Tour of Britain, a multi-day Professional stage race that annually passes through various regions of England, Scotland and occasionally Wales.

Tour of Britain

The Tour of Britain is the most important professional stage race in the United Kingdom. Since its reintroduction in 2004, it has established itself as a fixture on the September calendar. The route changes every year: sometimes rolling landscapes in Devon and Cornwall dominate, sometimes short but steep climbs in the Peak District or Lake District, sometimes sprint stages along the coast.

Typical characteristics of the Tour of Britain:

• Start fields with WorldTour and ProTeams, often as preparation for the autumn classics
• General classification for All-rounders, points classification for sprinters, mountains classification for climbers
• High spectator numbers along the routes, especially in rural regions
• Close link with British media interest following Tour de France successes by British riders

Further British highlights

Beyond the Tour of Britain, the RideLondon-Surrey Classic (Box Hill as a signature climb), the British National Road Championships and the National Cycling Centre Manchester as a track cycling hub shape British racing.

The USA: from WorldTour to ultra-endurance

The United States has developed its own professional cycling identity in the 21st century. For a long time, the heart of it was the Amgen Tour of California – a WorldTour stage race held annually in May from 2006 to 2019 that attracted international top teams to the American West Coast.

Tour of California and the post-California era

The Tour of California ran over eight stages through California: from Pacific coastal roads through wine regions to Mountain stage finish in the Sierra Nevada. It was the most important form test for riders targeting the Tour de France in July – comparable to the Tour de Suisse in Europe.

After the cancellation of the Tour of California in 2020 (COVID-19) and its final discontinuation in 2019, the USA lacked a WorldTour flagship. Other races partially took over the role:

Gravel and ultra: America's own disciplines

While Europe dominates the classics calendar, the USA has produced new formats that have set trends worldwide:

1. Unbound Gravel (formerly Dirty Kanza): The world's largest gravel event in Emporia, Kansas – with distances from 200 to over 350 miles. More at Unbound Gravel and mega-events.
2. Race Across America (RAAM): Nonstop ultra from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast in a maximum of 12 days – the supported counterpart to European bikepacking. Details in the RAAM documentation.
3. Redlands Classic: Oldest continuously held stage race in the USA (since 1985), important development platform for young riders.
4. US Pro Cycling Championships: National road championships with changing venues.

Comparison: Great Britain and the USA at a glance

Season planning for teams and riders

Professional teams use races in Great Britain and the USA strategically in the UCI WorldTour calendar:

Typical deployment scenarios

1. Tour of Britain leader: GC rider tests autumn form after the Vuelta a España, domestiques collect UCI points.
2. California/Utah preparation: American stage races as a dress rehearsal for the Tour de France – today increasingly through Utah and individual ProSeries events.
3. Sprinters and classics specialists: RideLondon and British sprint stages as lead-out training before the autumn.
4. Gravel specialists: Unbound and similar events as a season highlight outside the UCI road calendar.
5. Ultra athletes: RAAM as a standalone season with months of preparation.

Checklist: following or attending races in GB and the USA

Historical milestones and outlook

Defining names: Wiggins, Froome and Cavendish for Great Britain; Greg LeMond and gravel winners such as Ian Boswell for the USA.

The Tour of Britain remains the British flagship with WorldTour potential. In the USA, Tour of Utah, Arkansas Classic and gravel events such as Unbound are gradually filling the gap left by the Tour of California.

Frequently Asked Questions about Races in Great Britain and the USA