Posted on: Wednesday 6 August 2025
This year’s Lloyds Tour of Britain Men will come to a thrilling climax across 250 kilometres of tough racing, featuring over 4,000 metres of ascent in South Wales this September.
It will be the first time Britain’s biggest professional cycle race comes to Pontypool - which plays host to stage 5 of the tour on Saturday 6 September.
The world’s top professional cyclists, including Geraint Thomas in his final road race appearance, will first tackle the 133.5-kilometre (83-mile) route from Pontypool to a summit finish near Keepers Pond on The Tumble in Monmouthshire.
A day later the riders will race a 112.2-kilometre (69.8-mile) leg between Newport and Cardiff, that will include the roads of Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly, before reaching Caerphilly Mountain and a descent into Cardiff.
First, riders will set out from Pontypool Park at 11:30am on 6 September for stage 5 of the tour, before heading to Usk and Chepstow, taking in the first of five categorised king of the mountains ascents at Llangwm, averaging 4.7% over its 3.6 kilometres.
After Chepstow the race tackles Itton Hill, the second climb of the day, almost five kilometres in length, and heads on to Monmouth, and then the Old Ross Road climb on the way to Abergavenny.
The race then heads to its first ascent of The Tumble, averaging over 8% across its 4.9-kilometre distance, before a fast descent into Blaenavon and down the A4043, arriving in Pontypool at around 2pm – giving fans in Torfaen another chance to see the action.
The stage retraces its route to Usk, turning north via the Chain Bridge across the River Usk, to head back to The Tumble.
After more than 2,330 metres of ascent during the day, the riders will complete a final dash up to the finish line at the summit, for an expected finish just before 3pm.
The race resumes on Sunday 7 September at 11:45am from outside the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales in Newport, and passes through Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly County Boroughs, before a photo finish in Cardiff.
Commenting on route announcements, Torfaen Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Hunt, said:
“Hosting a stage of the Tour of Britain is a prestigious event to bring to Torfaen and the extra footfall will give a boost to our local economy.
“It’s a chance for residents and cycling fans to get up close to world-class athletes in the borough and give Geraint Thomas a cheer in his final professional race.
“This is a great chance for people in Torfaen to see a first-class sporting event for free on their doorsteps. We’re also looking forward to welcoming visitors to the area for the start and finish and showcasing some of our stunning landscapes to TV viewers, including Pontypool Park and the Blaenavon World Heritage site."
The Lloyds Tour of Britain Men begins in Suffolk, England on Tuesday 2 September.
For more information about the event, visit Tour of Britain Men