STAGE 1 TUESDAY 2 SEPTEMBER
FLYING DUTCHMAN: OLAV KOOIJ WINS OPENING STAGE AT LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN
Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) stormed to victory on stage one of the Lloyds Tour of Britain from Woodbridge to Southwold, after a nail-biting uphill sprint finish.
Tord Gudmestad (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) was a surprise runner-up, having launched his sprint early, while Hugo Hofstetter (Israel - Premier Tech) finished third.
Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) was the first British rider to cross the line in sixth place, while his teammate Geraint Thomas recovered from a late puncture to finish with the main field in his final race before retirement.
The win, Kooij’s fifth career stage victory at the race following his 2023 debut, puts the Dutchman into the first leader’s jersey of this year’s race after his team controlled the race for almost the entire day.
The finish in Southwold was a cautious affair, with several sprint teams battling for position at the front of the peloton. At one point, it looked as though Team Visma | Lease a Bike were fading from the contest, but the Dutch team moved to the front for a final time with just over 1.1km remaining and set the pace through the last two tight corners before launching Kooij to victory.
British rider Matthew Brennan was the last Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider to provide Kooij with assistance, with the 20-year-old hitting the front with around 300 meters to go. Brennan kept the pace high as the bunch hit a powerful headwind, but Gudmestad came from nowhere with a surge from the middle of the pack. His momentum created what looked like a winning gap, but Kooij was wise to the move and quickly jumped on the Norwegian’s back wheel before coming past inside the last few meters to take the eighth win of his season.
“It’s a really good feeling, of course, it’s always nice to win a race, and I have good memories from here two years ago. I was happy to go back to this race, and I’m really happy to continue the success of two years ago,” Kooij said after his win.
“We knew we wanted to end the last corner in a good position, which the guys did perfectly. We were there first, then I felt a really strong headwind and a little rise, so then waited for the right moment. I didn’t have much time to focus on the crowds, but it was really good seeing them at the start and at the finish. It’s always nice to see people out enjoying the race,” he added.
The first stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men saw a field of 114 riders sign on in the scenic setting of Woodbridge, with crowds coming to watch the premier men’s race on the domestic calendar and to catch a glimpse of Geraint Thomas as the Welshman started his final event as a professional rider before retiring after a distinguished career on the road and on the track.
Once the flag was dropped, it didn’t take long for the attacks to begin, but the day’s main break was established fairly quickly with Diego Uriarte (Equipo Kern Pharma), Milan Lanhove (Team Flanders - Baloise), Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders - Baloise), and Joshua Golliker (Great Britain Cycling Team) forming the day’s breakaway.
The quartet established a lead of almost three minutes, and Team Visma | Lease a Bike showed their intent by setting the pace at the front of the peloton almost immediately. With the stage win and the first leader’s jersey up for grabs, the Dutch squad were determined to keep the break in check, and by the time the leaders hit the 50km to go mark, their advantage hovered around the 1:30 mark.
Lanhove won the King of the Mountains points on the only categorised climb of Mill Hill, while at the front of the field, Loe van Belle kept the pace high for Visma and the rest of the peloton. The points on Mill Hill earned Lanhove the first KOM jersey of this year’s race, but with 25km to go, the peloton had the break at 38 seconds as the race passed through Shipmeadow.
With 16km remaining, only Vercouillie was left from the lead group, and despite a valiant effort, the Belgian was caught with 5.5km to go.
There was a sense of panic for Geraint Thomas, who suffered a front flat tyre inside the closing stages, but the Welshman was back with the peloton in no time as the sprinters’ teams massed at the front of the charging bunch.
With 1.1km remaining, Kooij was well positioned behind his teammates as Uno-X Mobility and Ineos Grenadiers competed for the lead, but the Dutch team surged just before the final two corners, allowing Kooij to launch his winning sprint and kick-start this year’s race.
For full results and standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please visit website.
Stage two sees the race remaining in Suffolk for a route through the Mid Suffolk and Babergh Districts, starting and finishing in Stowmarket. The 169.3-kilometre stage gets underway at 11:00 from Ipswich Street in Stowmarket, with live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
Fans can also watch and engage with the race across digital platforms, by following the Lloyds Tour of Britain on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.
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STAGE 2 WEDNESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER
COOL KOOIJ DOUBLES UP WITH STOWMARKET SPRINT IN LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN
Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) made it two wins from two stages as he sprinted to a clear victory in Stowmarket at stage two of the 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain, while extending his lead in the general classification.
Victory sees his overall lead stretch to 14 seconds over the second place finisher on the stage Tom Crabbe (Team Flanders – Baloise) and third placed Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) who was also once again the highest finishing British rider, with both Crabbe and Watson holding the same positions in the general classification respectively.
Potential stormy weather and high winds greeted the riders for the stage, which began and finished in Stowmarket, taking in a large lap of the East Suffolk countryside in between, as attacks started to fly immediately from the moment the flag dropped.
The breakaway that eventually managed to establish itself consisted of Rafael Reis (Anicolor / Tien 21), Andreas Stokbro (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Harrthijs De Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto) who cooperated well to maintain a gap of around two minutes to the chasing peloton.
Stokbro took the maximum points at the day’s Intermediate Sprint at Stradbroke, and then repeated his result at the King of the Mountain point at Semer Hill to earn the lead in the King of the Mountains competition. This was where the breakaway began to fall apart and Reis was dropped, leaving a trio of Stokbro, De Vries and Veistroffer to battle on to the finish.
Despite a valiant effort, the escapees were caught at just three kilometers to go as the sprint trains began to wind up behind them, although De Vries earned the combativity award on the stage for his breakaway efforts.
Bahrain Victorious put in a strong leadout in the final kilometre but it was British national champion Watson who launched his sprint first, although even he was no match for Kooij who was imperious and crossed the line to win by a considerable distance, with Crabbe passing Watson to earn second place.
This was Kooij’s sixth stage victory on the Lloyds Tour of Britain overall, and also means he extends his lead in the Points Classification with a difference to 28 points to second placed Crabbe, who now leads the Youth Classification.
Speaking after the podium, Kooij said: “It was a bit harder than yesterday, we had to use a lot of power to make the sprint in the first place. I didn't look back but it felt like it wasn't as close as yesterday so I'm happy with that.
“The race suits me quite well, another stage win after some hard work from the team so I'm really happy with that. Compared to yesterday we used a few more to catch the break so I was a bit more on my own, I found my way and there was space for me to go. When I had the space, I went and felt like I was the fastest.”
For full results and standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please click here.
Stage three on Thursday 4 September sees the Lloyds Tour of Britain return to the city of Milton Keynes for the first time since 2008. The 122.8km stage to Ampthill in Central Bedfordshire begins from Midsummer Boulevard at 11:30 with live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
Fans can also watch and engage with the race across digital platforms, by following the Lloyds Tour of Britain on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.
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STAGE 3
THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2025
BRILLIANT BRENNAN BECOMES YOUNGEST STAGE WINNER IN LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN’S HISTORY
British rider Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) became the youngest stage winner in the history of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men as he proved untouchable on a sprint finish into Ampthill to take victory on stage three.
Brennan, having just turned 20, is still in his first year as a professional and victory today sees him earn his 12th win of the season in what is proving to be an incredible breakout 2025 for the Darlington rider.
Stage three began until grey rainy skies in Milton Keynes but the weather did not dampen the spirits of the huge crowds turning out along the roads, where Casper Pederson (Soudal Quick-Step), Robin Froidevaux (Tudor Pro Cycling), Mats Wenzel (Equipo Kern Pharma) and Ben Chilton (Great Britain Cycling Team) forming the breakaway of the day.
The quartet worked well together to maintain a healthy gap over the peloton, entering a short circuit on the route where the race would pass the Intermediate Sprint at Northill Road and the King of the Mountain point at Hillfoot, which would each be taken on twice before heading to the finish in Ampthill.
Wenzel commanded both the Intermediate Sprints, winning both with relative ease, as well as being the first rider over the second ascent of the King of the Mountain (KOM) climb, with Chilton sealing the initial ascent and then just behind Wenzel afterwards, earning enough points to ensure he now leads the KOM competition going into the next stage.
With the climbing done for the day, the sprinters teams began to wind up to full speed and quickly absorbed the breakaway with 11 kilometres to go, with some small attacks attempted but none allowed to succeed in escaping as a sprint finish loomed.
It was here that Team Visma | Lease a Bike showed their surprise hand, where the race leader and previous stage winner Olav Kooij reversed roles and became the leadout rider for Brennan, guiding him through the final kilometre where he looked a class above the rest, producing a powerful sprint to win by a distance and celebrate ferociously as Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) came second and Rui Oliveira (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) earned third place.
Kooij remains in the overall race lead, with Brennan now in second just 10 seconds adrift and Dainese in third at 14 seconds. Kooij also retains the lead in the Points classification, while Brennan moves into the lead in the Youth classification. Thanks to his efforts in the breakaway, Ben Chilton earned the combativity award for the stage.
After the podium, Brennan was full of praise for both his team and teammate Kooij: “It was always the plan, the team said ‘we can’t have you going to your home race and not try to win something’. So, to be given this opportunity, especially when Olav (Kooij) is leading, is really special and I’m really thankful for that.
“It was really chaotic into the last few kilometres, there were a lot of people trying to get to the front but we bided our time a little bit. We had the guys working all day, but we moved up in the last two kilometres and took an opportunity and I followed Olav’s wheel and he finished it off brilliantly.”
Race leader Kooij also said: “It feels nice, another day where we worked hard to get a sprint into first place for today. I was happy to do my job to put Matthew (Brennan) in a good position. The rest of the week is going to get harder. But, with the team we have we know we have options and it is nice to be able to use them.”
For full results and standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please click here.
The race resumes with stage four in Warwickshire on Friday 5 September. Starting in Atherstone and taking in all five districts and boroughs of the county, the longest stage of the 2025 race at 186.9 kilometres gets underway at 10:30 with live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
Awaiting the riders is a hilltop finish at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park in the south of Warwickshire, with the peloton tackling the 700-metre climb, averaging almost 9% gradient, on three occasions in the closing kilometres of stage four.
Fans can also watch and engage with the race across digital platforms, by following the Lloyds Tour of Britain on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.
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STAGE 4
FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2025
ROMAIN RULES: Grégoire STORMS TO LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN STAGE FOUR WIN
Frenchman beats former race winner Julian Alaphilippe to the line at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park to take Lloyds Tour of Britain Men race lead
The first uphill finish at this year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men delivered a classic on stage four of the race, with Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) winning atop the summit of Burton Dassett Hills Country Park after a perfectly timed attack with 200m to go.
The 22-year-old, widely recognised as one of the most promising French riders to emerge in recent years, finished just ahead of compatriot Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling) at the finish line, with Edoardo Zambanini (Bahrain-Victorious) leading the next group of riders home, two seconds behind.
The stage win catapulted Grégoire into the Green jersey, with overnight race leader Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) dropping to second overall after losing ground on the final of three ascents to the summit of Burton Dassett. Brennan now sits second overall, two seconds adrift of Grégoire, but with the race set for two more blockbuster days in Wales, the 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Men rests on a knife-edge with 29 riders within 17 seconds of Grégoire’s overall lead.
The Frenchman was at his magnificent best on the final 1.5km climb to the line, after his teammates ensured they positioned their leader towards the front as UAE Team Emirates XRG and INEOS Grenadiers stretched the peloton on the searing gradients.
British national road champion Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) surged with 600m remaining, but he was caught by a select group including Grégoire, the swashbuckling Alaphilippe, and double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step). On the final right-hand corner, Grégoire broke from the pack and overtook Watson on the British rider’s left. Alaphilippe took the inside line and immediately pursued Grégoire, but he couldn't close the gap as the two maintained a slight lead before the finish.
In the end, Grégoire held on to win, with his impressive 2025 season continuing after a stage win in the Tour de Suisse and victory in the Faun-Ardèche Classic earlier this year.
“It's incredible, I'm really happy with this victory, I knew this climb could be good for me, but it wasn't easy to get the victory, the team did an amazing job throughout the day, and we deserve this, so I'm really happy for me and the team,” Grégoire said at the finish.
“It wasn't an easy stage. Tomorrow is another day, tomorrow is harder than today, so we will see tomorrow, but I will try to fight for this victory. The atmosphere in the final climb was really good, really happy to win in front of the British crowd,” he added.
Early break packs a punch
The quaint market town of Atherstone in North Warwickshire played host to the start of stage four of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, and with sunny skies and large crowds greeting the pro peloton, spirits were high as the race shifted from the sprint stages to the more challenging terrain that would shape the final GC at this year’s race.
On the menu, six categorised climbs, including three ascents of Burton Dasset Hills Country Park.
The early break of Rory Townsend (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Josh Golliker (Great Britain), Cedric Beullens (Lotto) and Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders - Baloise) worked well to establish a lead that almost stretched to five minutes as the race dipped south towards the intermediate sprint at Cubbington.
A combination of Team Picnic-PostNL, Soudal Quick-Step, and Tudor Pro Cycling patrolled the front of the peloton during the opening hours of the race, ensuring that the leading quartet were kept in check, and with 85km to go, the gap had been reduced to 2:46.
Vercouillie was on a mission to hoover up King of the Mountains points, and the 22-year-old, who won a KOM title at Etoile de Bessèges - Tour du Gard earlier this year, snaffled up maximum points at Friz Hill, Fant Hill, Sun Rising Hill and the first ascent of Burton Dassett Hills Country Park to eventually take over the classification.
Dassett decider
The finishing circuit, with the three ascents of Burton Dassett, was always going to determine the eventual outcome of the stage, and on the first lap, Evenepoel lit up the race with a powerful attack towards the summit of the climb. AJ August (INEOS Grenadiers), Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek), and Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) were able to latch onto the Belgian’s coattails, and the foursome caught the day’s early break on the shallow descent that followed, with around 20km remaining.
Although the new lead group of eight was packed with world-class talent, there was still far too much firepower in the chase group, and with 16km to go, they were brought back by a determined Picnic PostNL and Bahrain Victorious.
The second ascent of Burton Dassett proved to be a cagey affair, with UAE Team Emirates-XRG setting a pace that kept their rivals in check, but over the top of the climb, Andreas Leknessund (UNO-X Mobility) put in a well-timed attack that seemed to catch the peloton off-guard with just under 10km remaining.
The Norwegian was eventually caught by a group including former British national champion Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step), but with just one climb remaining, the peloton regrouped once more for one final effort.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG set the pace on the early slopes before Watson took control with 600m to go. However, as the gradient started to bite, it was Grégoire who had the legs and the timing to take the stage by the scruff of the neck and claim the victory.
For full results and standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please click here.
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men heads to Wales for the final two stages of the 2025 race, with first stage five from Pontypool to The Tumble, featuring a double ascent of the five-kilometre finish climb at the end of a 133.5-kilometre leg. Stage five gets underway from Pontypool Park at 11:30 on Saturday 6 September
The final stage, on Sunday 7 September, sees the race starting from outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport, to celebrate the career of Geraint Thomas. The 112.2-kilometre stage gets underway at 11:45 and features the climb of Caerphilly Mountain inside the final ten kilometres of racing, with the finish coming on North Road in Cardiff. Both stages will have live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
Fans can also watch and engage with the race across digital platforms, by following the Lloyds Tour of Britain on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.
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STAGE 5
SATURDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2025
REMCO EVENEPOEL TAKES THE TUMBLE TO NARROW BATTLE FOR THE OVERALL LEAD
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) conquered the infamous Tumble climb in Monmouthshire, South Wales to earn his first Lloyds Tour of Britain stage win as Romain Grégoire (Groupama FDJ) finished in the elite lead group to maintain his slender lead in the general classification.
Evenepoel, the reigning Olympic road race champion, had hinted before the start of the stage that he would be targeting the finish and this proved to be the case as he sprinted powerfully to victory ahead of two rising British stars in Thomas Gloag (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Oscar Onley (Picnic PostNL).
Stage five, the Queen stage of the 2025 edition of the race, began in high spirits in Pontypool as the local Welsh fans flocked to see Geraint Thomas as he began the penultimate stage of his professional racing career on home roads.
The race itself began cagily, with the peloton remaining together as it tacked the first of five categorised climbs, Llangwm, where Alexis Guerin (Anicolor / Tien 21) the first across the line. Nine riders finally broke the elastic to the peloton with 105 kilometers to go, with the group including the leader of the King of the Mountains competition Victor Vercouillie (Team Flanders - Baloise) along with Patrick Boje Frydkjaer (Lidl - Trek), Noa Isidore (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Frederik Frison (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Baptiste Veistroffer (Lotto), Axel Huens (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Henrik Pedersen (Uno-X Mobility), Rafael Reis (Anicolor / Tien 21) and, on home roads in Wales, Finlay Tarling (Israel - Premier Tech).
Over the next two categorised climbs, the second category Itton Hill and the third category Old Ross Road, Vercouillie took maximum points to ensure he has now built an insurmountable lead in the King of the Mountains competition, and will win the classification, provided he finishes the race in Cardiff on Sunday.
With the Belgian’s job for the day completed, he quickly dropped back to the peloton as the race reached the bottom of the famous Tumble climb for the first time. The rest of the breakaway began to splinter and drop back also, meaning that at the summit just two members remained, Isidore and Reis, and it was Reis who was the first across the line.
Following a rapid descent into Blaenavon in the picturesque valley below, the race quickly came back together before Harttijs De Vries (Unibet Tietema Rockets) and Siebe Deweirdt (Team Flanders - Baloise) seized on some complacency in the group to attempt an optimistic breakaway of their own before the final kilometers.
This leading duo saw their advantage stretch out to well over a minute at points on the quick valley roads, where they passed the Intermediate Sprint at Usk, with Deweirdt taking first and De Vries second, as stage three victor Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) took third place behind to earn a valuable bonus second.
As the race approached Govilon and foot of the second and final ascent of The Tumble, Deweirdt and De Vries’ gap had shrunk to just 20 seconds as the General Classification teams behind began to up the pace in an attempt to outdrag each other to the lower slopes.
As the peloton made the catch and the decisive climb began, it was Sam Watson and Lucas Hamilton (INEOS Grenadiers) who began to set the pace in an attempt to launch their teammates Thymen Arensman and AJ August, and it was Arensman who was the first of the GC favourites to make their move with 3.3km remaining.
The Dutchman was quickly closed down by the pre-race favourite Evenepoel, who was forced to set the tempo and when he slowed for just a moment, his rivals attempted to take advantage, with Alfonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious) and Onley quick to attack. It was Pavel Sivakov (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) however who launched the most dangerous move so far, quickly gaining over 15 seconds as Eulalio and Onley followed the Frenchman.
Evenepoel appeared unfazed and relaxed, slipping back into the chasing bunch and relying on his valuable teammate Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step) to move to the front and close the gap. This is exactly what Van Wilder did, as he displayed some of the impressive climbing form he has shown this year, meaning Evenepoel was back at the head of the race as they passed under the Flamme Rouge with a kilometer to go.
With the throngs of spectators lining the road now realising this was Evenepoel's race to lose, he launched a vicious sprint with 350 metres to go, with the 23 year old Gloag not only able to hang on to the wheel but even look as though he could edge out the Belgian on the line, but it proved not to be the case as Evenepoel crossed the line, arm raised in victory, with Gloag chased home by Onley.
10 bonus seconds on the line for Evenepoel means he now sits second in the General Classification, as a strong climbing performance by Grégoire means he retains the green leaders jersey as well as the lead in the young riders classification. Julian Alaphilippe sits a further two seconds back on Evenepoel in third on GC, as Olav Kooij (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) continues to lead the Points classification. Rafael Reis earned the combativity award for the stage.
Speaking at the podium, Evenepoel said: “It was a very beautiful climb, the first part in the forest was very hard, very steep. I think the first time up the climb, we just wanted to see how it went. We went quite fast and the last 3k the wind was blowing hard in our face so I quickly realised we had to wait for the sprint.
“I know after a tough day and a hard line that I've got a good sprint so I just focused on my sprint and went out with a win. We’ll plan to go for the green leaders jersey I think. It would be great to come away with an overall win, it would be a really good confidence boost after a long time out of competition.”
Overall leader Gregoire added: “I’m really happy, it wasn’t easy. The last ascent was really hard, I wasn’t in an easy position but I wanted to fight to the finish and to keep the jersey.
“I’m in a good position, it’s better to be in front than behind. It'll be a big fight tomorrow, I’ll try to keep the leader’s jersey, we will see tomorrow for the next stage.”
For full results and standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please click here.
The final stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, on Sunday 7 September, sees the race starting from outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport, to celebrate the career of Geraint Thomas. The 112.2-kilometre stage gets underway at 11:45 and features the climb of Caerphilly Mountain inside the final ten kilometres of racing, with the finish coming on North Road in Cardiff, with live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
Fans can also watch and engage with the race across digital platforms, by following the Lloyds Tour of Britain on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter) and Strava as well as signing up to receive daily insights in their inbox.
Photo Credit SWpix.com
STAGE 6
SUNDAY 7 SEPTEMBER 2025
KOOIJ CALM AND COLLECTED: DUTCH RIDER WINS FINAL STAGE OF LLOYDS TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN IN CARDIFF, AS ROMAIN Grégoire SEALS OVERALL TITLE
Cardiff and south Wales turned out in force to wave goodbye to cycling legend Geraint Thomas, and the final stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men did not disappoint, with an exciting finish in the Welsh capital as Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) burst from the bunch to secure his third stage victory of this year’s race, after the day’s main break was caught less than 100m from the line.
Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) held his nerve despite facing an onslaught of attacks on Caerphilly Mountain to win the overall by just two seconds from Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step), while the day also saw tens of thousands of fans line the streets and descend on Cardiff to celebrate Geraint Thomas’s career and bid the Welshman farewell after he retired at the conclusion of the six-day race.
Thomas’ career celebrations included a guard of honour from the entire peloton at the start in Newport, and a farewell party at Cardiff Castle, as a sporting legend hung up his wheels, with his racing career ending with two tough days of racing in his native south Wales, supported by the Welsh Government.
Earlier in the day, the racing was marked by a four-rider break comprising Julius Johansen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Bastien Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team), Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), and Mats Wenzel (Equipo Kern Pharma), with the quartet putting on a show once they broke away from the peloton.
The chasing bunch maintained a gap of around two minutes for most of the undulating stage, but as expected, the race fractured on the epic climb of Caerphilly Mountain after Soudal Quick-Step, Picnic PostNL, and Tudor Pro Cycling set a relentless pace heading into the final 25 kilometres of racing.
With 10km remaining, former British national champion Ethan Hayter increased the pace on the lower slopes of the climb for his team leader, Remco Evenepoel, with the Belgian starting the day just two seconds behind Grégoire’s overall lead. Hayter’s efforts closed the gap to the break to within 30 seconds, and when Evenepoel’s expected attack was made, several other GC contenders were quick to respond.
Oscar Onley attacked soon after, forcing Grégoire to respond, but over the summit of the climb, Tronchon, Johansen, and Wright remained at the front of the race with a slender eight-second gap.
With just under 7km to go, Evenepoel attacked on the long descent to the finish with Grégoire once more forced into a frantic chase.
Out front, the remaining trio worked well together, but the stop-start nature of the peloton eventually led to a significant regrouping, with Kooij and several of his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates returning to the peloton. From there, the momentum on the stage shifted, with the break left dangling at the front, having a 16-second buffer and 4.5km remaining.
The trio refused to throw in the towel and powered into the last 500m with a narrow gap on the chase, but just as Wright opened up his sprint, Kooij blasted through the pack to take the stage win and deny Wright his first-ever stage victory in the race. The Bahrain Victorious rider held on to take a well-deserved third place, while Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) finished second.
“We’ve had a pretty amazing week. It's really nice to finish it this way,” Kooij said at the finish in Cardiff.
“I think we were not that far away on GC, so we thought about trying to close that gap and also fight for the bonus seconds. We also had to use a few guys to try and bring the break closer for the stage win, though. This week has been really special, we took control most of the week, it’s something that doesn’t happen too often so we’re really happy,” the Visma-Lease a Bike rider said.
Fond farewell to a cycling legend
Newport, South Wales, played host to the final stage of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, and as expected, the pre-race crowds only had eyes for one team as Geraint Thomas lined up outside the INEOS Grenadiers bus for the start of his final race as a professional rider. For a rider who has been a mainstay on the British cycling scene across three decades, it was only fitting that the day belonged to the 39-year-old, with a guard of honour at the start led by his INEOS teammates, with his own son, Macs, joining in.
It was memorable too, that Thomas was the first rider to attack once the flag was dropped, with the Welshman jumping clear on home roads. Although there would be no fairytale day in the break, the veteran later enjoyed the freedom of riding up Caerphilly Mountain with long-term friend and teammate Ben Swift to accompany him as fans cheered the pair home.
“It was emotional across the line. All the fans, I was choking up. Crossing the line with Swifty, who I've raced with since I was 12, it all came out then and speaking to S4C I couldn't even speak. It’s definitely emotional. It’s super special, and to finish here is unbelievable,” Thomas said at the finish.
“It's unreal, the atmosphere, all week, a lot of the years I've been racing, particularly today and yesterday, just riding through here, then the amount of people going nuts. It's mad that people care so much about me doing well; it meant so much. What can I say? What a way to finish,” he added.
Once Thomas’s attack had been neutralised, a wave of attacks followed before the day’s break settled on Johansen, Tronchon, Wright, and Wenzel.
A group of teams kept the break under control throughout the stage, and with the leading riders on GC separated by only a few seconds, the overall standings remained wide open as the race ascended Mynydd Bedwellte and then headed towards the crucial climb of Caerphilly Mountain.
Evenepoel and Onley both tried to create the needed separation on the climb, but Grégoire was equal to every acceleration.
“I’m really happy, I’ve always wanted to win a race like this. I’m just enjoying the moment, and I’m really happy for myself and the team. The riders behind me were very close [in GC], so I had to manage today well, and I think as a team we did it to perfection. Controlling the break and making sure it was a sprint finish, today went really well for us,” the Frenchman said after winning the race.
“With the attacks on the climb, it wasn’t easy to stay with them, but I was pretty committed and my legs felt good. I was able to follow the attacks, which was the good part, but the descent was tricky too, with Remco attacking it wasn’t a fun moment. Winning this race ranks really high in my career. At the finish, if there had been a small group, it would have been dangerous for me, but with sprinters like Olav Kooij there, it was easier for me. I was confident when I saw the Visma leadout in the final 2km,” the Frenchman added.
Kooij also ended the race with the points jersey, while Victor Vercouillie topped the KOM standings. Grégoire also claimed the best young rider’s jersey, and Bahrain Victorious won the team classification.
For full results and final standings from the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, please click here.
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