UAE Emirates XRG Seal Tour of Britain Double With Wellens and Politt

Tim Wellens won the 2026 men’s Tour of Britain on Sunday, completing a successful week for UAE Emirates XRG as teammate Nils Politt took the final stage. The Guardian reported that Wellens finished 42 seconds ahead of British rider Lewis Askey in the overall standings after protecting his lead through the Scottish Borders.

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Wellens began the final stage in Earlston with a 21-second advantage over Askey. The Belgian had moved into the race lead on Saturday during the 165-kilometre stage from Helmsley to Leyburn, using the short, steep climbs of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors to distance the previous leader. Dutch rider Cees Bol won that stage, but Wellens established the decisive general-classification gap.

UAE Emirates XRG initially planned to control the final day rather than force the pace. According to the Guardian’s report, Netcompany Ineos accelerated in the crosswinds on the exposed moors in an attempt to disrupt Wellens and his teammates. A five-rider group from UAE Emirates XRG nevertheless reached the key breakaway, leaving Wellens well protected as the challenge developed.

Politt then attacked from the leading group with fewer than 10 kilometres remaining and stayed clear to claim the stage victory. Ben Wiggins was part of that group and finished 10th overall. The 21-year-old is the son of former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins. Askey retained second place overall after a strong performance across the race, but his deficit to Wellens doubled on the final day.

The victory added another result to Wellens’ record after his previous Tour de France stage success. For UAE Emirates XRG, the combination of the overall title and Politt’s stage win reflected its numerical control of the decisive final phase. Wellens said the team had entered the event targeting the general classification, and the late stage success completed what he described as a perfect outcome.

The race concluded against a wider discussion about rider safety. The peloton had begun with a tribute to Fin Tarling, who died during the Volta a Portugal in August, and Politt pointed skyward after finishing in memory of his grandfather. The Guardian also reported that the UCI has called for an urgent dedicated system to track riders and vehicles in real time at professional road events, beginning with the WorldTour and Women’s WorldTour.