Wales will host the final two days of Britain’s biggest professional cycle race and the UK’s largest free-to-spectate live sporting event this September, as the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men builds to a spectacular finale across the south Wales climbs.

Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September will see the world’s top cyclists racing two arduous stages across south Wales, taking in Pontypool, Newport, and Cardiff, plus the famous climb of The Tumble, near Abergavenny, in what is anticipated to be the final race of INEOS Grenadiers rider Geraint Thomas’ illustrious career.

Pontypool, in Torfaen, will host the start of stage five on Saturday 6 September, as the British national tour visits for the first time, with a route through Monmouthshire, that will culminate in a double ascent of The Tumble, which averages 8.2% across its five kilometres.

The final stage, on Sunday 7 September will start from the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in the city of Newport, home to Beicio Cymru. After crossing the climbs and valleys of south Wales, the leg will pass the Maindy Velodrome, home to the Maindy Flyers Cycling Club that produced Geraint Thomas, among other Welsh stars, ahead of the finish in Cardiff city centre.

The news follows Wales hosting the Lloyds National Road Championships in Aberaeron and Aberystwyth in late June, as part of a three-year agreement between the Welsh Government and British Cycling, that saw Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) and Mille Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) crowned road race champions.

Welsh Government Minister with responsibility for Sport, Jack Sargeant, said; "We're excited to welcome the Men's Tour of Britain back to Wales once again, an event we have proudly supported over a number of years. The Tour has found a successful home in Wales, and each time it returns it showcases our cities, towns, communities and landscapes to an international audience, as well as attracting athletes from all over the world.

"As we continue our preparations for welcoming a stage of the Tour de France in 2027, these final two Tour of Britain stages represent another exciting chapter in Wales' story as an internationally-recognised destination for the very best cycling events.  Wales truly is a nation made for bikes, and we're delighted to demonstrate that on the world stage."

September will mark the second time that Cardiff has hosted the overall finish of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, having done so in 2017, and only the third time in the modern race’s 21-year history that the event has finished in Wales.

Newport has twice before hosted the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men, most recently in 2018, when André Greipel won the opening stage, while The Tumble has once before been a finish, 11 years ago (2014) when Edoardo Zardini took a memorable solo victory at the summit.

As part of the weekend of racing in Wales, amateur cyclists will also be able to contest the official Lloyds Tour of Britain Ride the Route on Saturday 6 September. Starting and finishing from the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport, participants will have the opportunity to ride parts of the routes of the final stage a day ahead of the professionals, with more details of the event to be announced in the coming weeks.

Further information on the Lloyds Tour of Britain Ride the Route can be found here.

Commenting on the announcement, Jonathan Day, Managing Director of British Cycling Events, said; “Wales has provided some of the most iconic moments in Lloyds Tour of Britain history over the years, and this September will be no different thanks to the two incredible stages that we have worked with our partners the Welsh Government and stakeholders to secure.

“The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men never fails to draw a crowd in south Wales, and with the four fantastic locations and two stages falling across a weekend we are confident that this will make for a really special atmosphere and a fantastic way to round out the race, and crown our 2025 champion.”

Newport City Council leader, Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, said: “We’re delighted to welcome the Tour to Newport once again, and to play host to the start of this year’s final stage.

“With the Tour marking Geraint Thomas’s last professional race before his retirement, I can think of no better place to start the final stage than Wales’s national velodrome which bears his name.

“The riders, teams and spectators can all expect a warm welcome to our city, and a great atmosphere as they set off on the last leg of this year’s race.”

Steve Ward, Chief Executive of Newport Live, said: “It’s a tremendous honour to welcome riders and spectators to the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men to the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales.

"The venue was renamed after Geraint won the Tour of France and symbolises our deep connection to cycling and our pride in Welsh sporting excellence. Hosting the start of the final stage here, is a moment of real significance. This event is not only a celebration of world-class cycling but also a powerful showcase of Wales as a nation, from our iconic climbs to our passionate communities. We’re proud to play our part in inspiring the next generation and putting Wales firmly on the international cycling map."

Cardiff Council Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: “We can’t wait to welcome the Lloyds Tour of Britain back to Cardiff. 

“The city is always buzzing when a major sporting event is in town and with this being homegrown sporting legend Geraint Thomas’ final race - after a career that has seen him reach the very heights  of world cycling, winning world championships, Olympic golds as well as claiming the famous yellow jersey - I’m sure the streets of his hometown will be lined with spectators cheering him, and all the other participants, on through those tough final miles.”

Caroline Spanton, CEO of Beicio Cymru, said: "It's incredibly special to see Wales hosting the final two stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men – a real showcase of world-class cycling set against the spectacular backdrop of our climbs, communities and cycling culture. This is more than a race finish; it’s a powerful celebration of Wales as a nation made for bikes.

“To see the peloton pass places like Maindy Velodrome and The Tumble, and to welcome the race into Cardiff, is especially poignant in what is expected to be Geraint Thomas’ final professional road race – a fitting tribute to one of Wales’ most iconic athletes.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to the Welsh Government and local authorities whose support and investment have made these stages possible. Their commitment is helping to inspire the next generation and reaffirm Wales’ place on the international cycling stage."

The exact routes of both Welsh stages of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will be published later in July.

The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins in East Suffolk on Tuesday 2 September, with an opening leg between Woodbridge and Southwold, followed by a second stage in Suffolk at Stowmarket, and legs taking in Milton Keynes and Central Bedfordshire, and Warwickshire before the race arrives in Wales.

Further announcements about the participating teams for the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men and the detail of all six stage routes will be made over the coming weeks.

About the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men

Stages

Stage one	Tuesday 2 September	Woodbridge to Southwold
Stage two	Wednesday 3 September	Stowmarket to Stowmarket
Stage three	Thursday 4 September	Milton Keynes to Ampthill
Stage four	Friday 5 September	Atherstone to Burton Dassett Hills Country Park
Stage five	Saturday 6 September	Pontypool to The Tumble
Stage six	Sunday 7 September	Newport to Cardiff