Cycling
Tour of Britain 2026 Stage 2 Predictions & Betting Tips: Boston to Skegness
Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour of Britain takes the peloton 180.2km from Boston to Skegness, and William Hill News are on hand to preview how the day might unfold.
Tim Merlier leads the stage market at 4/6, with Olav Kooij close behind at 2/1 and Ethan Vernon the each-way alternative at 9/1 in what looks set to be a straight sprint shootout.
Stage overview
Stage 2 covers 180.2km with just 873 metres of elevation gain, making it comfortably the flattest day of the five-stage race:
- Start: Boston Market Place
- Route: Woodhall Spa, Horncastle, Wragby, into the Lincolnshire Wolds via Louth
- Coastal section: Mablethorpe and Sutton-on-Sea
- Finish: Grand Parade, Skegness
The closing three kilometres are flat, making this the purest speed test of the week, though the exposed roads near Louth could still produce echelons if the wind gets up.
Tim Merlier – 4/6
Merlier is making his Tour of Britain debut and arrives as the hot favourite for the stage.
He has nine wins already this season, including three stages of the Tour de France, and a route built around fast finishes plays directly to his strengths. With no sustained climbing to trouble him, the concluding drag along Lumley Road onto Grand Parade suits a rider who thrives on long, straight run-ins.
Soudal Quick-Step’s lead-out has been reliable all year, and if the peloton comes back together as expected, Merlier looks the man to beat on a finish with no late kickers.
Prediction: Tim Merlier to win Stage 2 at 4/6.
Olav Kooij – 2/1
Kooij already has seven Tour of Britain stage wins to his name, three short of Mark Cavendish’s record, and a Skegness win would put him within touching distance.
The Dutchman has had a slower 2026 by his standards, but his sprint remains among the fastest in the peloton, and this is exactly the kind of pan-flat finish where his positioning and turn of speed have delivered before.
Decathlon-CMA CGM will look to control the run-in from distance, and if Kooij is still on Merlier’s wheel inside the final 200 metres, this could go either way.
Prediction: Olav Kooij to finish on the Stage 2 podium.
Ethan Vernon – 9/1
Vernon is the value pick and the leading home hope in the race.
He has been the strongest Brit in the bunch through the opening stage, and a finish on home roads at Skegness gives him extra incentive. He lacks the pure top speed of Merlier or Kooij, but a nervy, wind-affected run to the coast increases the chances of a split finish where positioning matters as much as raw pace.
An each-way play looks the sensible route in.
Prediction: Ethan Vernon to finish inside the top three.
*Prices accurate at the time of writing – odds subject to change*
