The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will draw to a close on Welsh roads this autumn, completing a coast‑to‑capital journey that will began with Suffolk’s sea breezes and winds its way west via the Midlands. Confirmation that south Wales will host the final two stages on 6 and 7 September sets the scene for a potentially emotional conclusion, with the weekend expected to double as the last professional outing for INEOS Grenadiers leader Geraint Thomas.
Saturday’s penultimate stage opens in Pontypool, a first‑time host for Britain’s national tour, before threading through Monmouthshire and twice scaling The Tumble. The five‑kilometre ascent averages more than eight per cent and was last used in 2014, when Edoardo Zardini triumphed from a lone break. A double assault this time around promises a decisive shake‑up after the previous day’s skirmish on Warwickshire’s Burton Dassett, ensuring only the most resilient climbers remain in contention for the overall title.
Sunday’s grand finale begins on the boards of the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport and quickly heads north‑west across the valleys, flicking past Maindy Velodrome—the cradle of Thomas’s racing career—before the road straightens towards Cardiff. The Welsh capital has not seen the Tour’s conclusion since 2017, and this will be only the third time in the race’s modern‑era history that the winner is crowned in Wales. A flat, fast run along the city‑centre finish straight should provide both a sprinter’s showcase and an emotional send‑off for the 2018 Tour de France champion.
The announcement completes a six‑day route that begins in Woodbridge and Southwold on 2 September, continues inland for a Stowmarket circuit, then swings west for sprint territory between Milton Keynes and Ampthill before the general‑classification battle ignites on Burton Dassett’s triple ascent. By the time the peloton reaches Pontypool the week’s narrative will be finely poised, the outcome hinging on two brutal Welsh days that balance high‑altitude aggression with an urban showpiece.
British Cycling says it will publish full maps and profiles in the coming weeks, alongside confirmation of the 20‑team start list, but have already announced an amateur sportive—Ride the Route—offering club riders a taste of Sunday’s leg twenty‑four hours ahead of the professionals. For Welsh fans, it marks the latest chapter in a relationship that has recently included five women’s‑race stages, the 2022 Commonwealth Games road races and June’s National Road Championships. For Thomas, it offers a lap of honour on home tarmac: valleys, velodromes and, finally, a capital crowd bidding farewell to one of Britain’s greatest.
