The Tour of Britain 2025 will be marked, from a British perspective, mainly by the farewell of Geraint Thomas. The Tour de France winner will ride his final race kilometers on home soil, but most of the attention will also be on Remco Evenepoel. He is the favorite for the overall victory and will compete for the first time since it became known that he will transfer after this season. WielerFlits looks ahead to the Tour of Britain.
For the Tour of Britain 2025, six stages have been designed, totaling 930 kilometers. After the start of the opening stage in Woodbridge, the race will finish six days later in Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The last three stages will decide the general classification, as they each feature about 2,000 meters of elevation gain on average.
"We have worked hard with our partners on all six stages to create this fantastic route, which builds up to a real climax as we reach Wales, where the battle for the green jersey will definitely last until the finish line on North Road in Cardiff," said Jonathan Day on behalf of organizer British Cycling Events.
The opening stage is over 160 kilometers long, taking the riders from Woodbridge to Southwold. The entire stage takes place in the county of Suffolk, located on the east coast, between better-known cities like Norwich and Ipswich. There are just over 1,100 meters of elevation gain along the way, but this won’t unsettle the better sprinters. A sprinter is likely to claim the first leader’s jersey in Southwold.
The second stage of the Tour of Britain also starts in the county of Suffolk. The route starts and finishes in Stowmarket and features more than 1,000 meters of climbing. Unlike the opening stage, this one includes a categorized climb. Approaching the finale is Semer Hill, but it is no longer than one and a half kilometers at 2%. Expect another sprint finish.
Stage three is over 130 kilometers and takes the peloton from Milton Keynes to Ampthill. In the second half of the stage, the riders will complete two local circuits. This means the Hillfoot climb (700 meters at 4.3%) will be tackled twice. The last summit is 17 kilometers from the finish in Ampthill, but these climbs are not very demanding. For the third day in a row, sprinters appear poised for a mass sprint.
The longest stage of the Tour of Britain starts in the Warwickshire region. The stage covers over 190 kilometers with more than 2,000 meters of elevation gain. Most of these meters come in the last 40 kilometers, making the finale potentially very exciting. The finale begins with the short and steep Sun Rising Hill (900 meters at 10%).
Next, the riders head to Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, where three local circuits of 12.5 kilometers each await. Each lap includes a climb of 1.4 kilometers at 5.7%, which will be the key difficulty. After two earlier passages, the finish line will be on the third ascent of the top in Burton Dassett Hills Country Park. In 2019, the finale was identical, and Mathieu van der Poel took the stage win then.
For the fifth stage, the organizers designed a route of over 130 kilometers, leading from Pontypool to The Tumble in South Wales. This can be considered the queen stage, with five categorized climbs along the way. First are Llangwm, Itton Hill, and Old Ross Road, followed by the first ascent of The Tumble (4.9 km at 8%).
The finish is ultimately at the top of The Tumble, but after this first passage, about an hour of racing remains. There is first a long valley where the peloton completes a big loop before climbing The Tumble (4.9 km at 8%) again. This time the finish line is drawn at the summit, and it is expected that seconds will be fought for.
In honor of Geraint Thomas, the final stage of his professional career starts at the 'Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales' in Newport. From there, the route heads to Cardiff in a rolling stage. There are no truly flat sections nor very tough climbs, but the riders still face over 1,700 meters of elevation. Particularly the climb of Caerphilly Mountain (1.4 km at 9.7%) will decide whether there will be a sprint finish or not. The summit lies less than 10 kilometers from the finish.
In Cardiff, the stage winner, overall winner, and Geraint Thomas himself will be honored. Thank you, G!
Israel-Premier Tech will defend the title, but without defending champion Stephen Williams. On the provisional start list, the Israeli team will field, among others, British talent Joe Blackmore and puncher Brady Gilmore. This year, Blackmore finished fourth in the Tour des Alpes Maritimes and placed top 15 in both the Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne. After his debut in the Tour de France, Blackmore‘s second half of the season still has to get going, but he could surprise on home soil. He was already fifth here last year.
We’re not talking about the big favorites here. The most eye-catching name is found at Soudal Quick-Step. Remco Evenepoel makes his comeback after withdrawing from the Tour de France, and a lot has happened since then. His transfer to Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will also be a topic of discussion during the Tour of Britain. He is now recovered from a broken rib, which he kept quiet during the Tour, and can use Great Britain to build his form towards his autumn goals; the Road World Championships, the European Championships, and Il Lombardia are still on his program.
Evenepoel finds a route in the Tour of Britain that should suit him well. For him, the last three stages will be decisive. In the stage to Burton Dassett Hills Country Park, he will have the chance to make a difference on the steep climbs and possibly launch a solo. Otherwise, the fight must occur in the stage to The Tumble. He has a strong lieutenant in Ilan Van Wilder, who may also have chances for himself.
INEOS Grenadiers will honor the retiring Geraint Thomas with a special kit. We shouldn't expect much from the Welshman in the general classification, considering his recent results. Thymen Arensman can emerge as the team leader for the GC, although the first hilly stage might be a bit too punchy for him. The finish at The Tumble suits Arensman better. Can he regain his Tour form when he won at Superbagnères and La Plagne? Kim Heiduk, alongside Ben Swift and Sam Watson, can also have a role in these hilly stages.
At the French team Groupama-FDJ, there is a dangerous contender for the overall classification. Romain Grégoire leads that team and is among the best climbers in this field. In the Tour de France, he mixed with the world’s best on tough finishes in Boulogne-sur-Mer and Rouen, and he already won races this season in the Tour de Suisse and the Ardèche Classic. Can he win the Tour of Britain as well? His teammate Tom Donnenwirth surprised with a third place here last year, so the French duo can play their cards tactically.
Igor Arrieta and Antonio Morgado are the most notable names at UAE Emirates XRG. The young Spaniard has already ridden the Giro d’Italia and won the hill race Ordiziako Klasika at the end of July. Arrieta may not get many personal chances, but possibly here in Great Britain he will. Portuguese Morgado relies mainly on his punch; a seventh place in the Hamburg Cyclassics recently stood out, as did a third place in Ordiziako Klasika. This spring he also won two smaller one-day races.
Now for some lone wolves who could contend in the GC battle. Pello Bilbao will aim for a good general classification with Bahrain Victorious, after placing ninth at the Tour of Poland in August. Edoardo Zambanini wants to improve on last year’s seventh place. A home favorite rides at Picnic PostNL, where Oscar Onley is on the provisional start list. He surprised everyone by finishing fourth in the Tour de France. Earlier, he was also third in the Tour de Suisse, tenth in the Tour of the Basque Country, and fifth in the UAE Tour. Can he add the Tour of Britain to his list of solid results? Last year he was second.
Julian Alaphilippe seems set to be the team leader for Tudor. This circuit should suit him well with all those short climbs. In the Tour de France, he proved he could stay with the best uphill longer and longer, so he might surprise in the GC. JuJu is supported by the likes of Matteo Trentin. Looking at the Visma | Lease a Bike team, the decisive stages seem just a bit too hard for Matthew Brennan, but he is allowed to prove otherwise. If he can limit the damage, he can still play a meaningful role with time bonuses in the standings. Otherwise, Tom Gloag may have free rein on the harder stages.
At Lidl-Trek, experienced riders like Lennard Kämna, Tao Geoghegan Hart, and Bauke Mollema will ride, while Uno-X Mobility is on form and fields Andreas Leknessund and Rasmus Tiller. Additionally, Mark Donovan (Q36.5, fourth in last year’s Tour of Britain), Victor Lafay (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Toon Aerts (Lotto), and Tomas Kopecky (Unibet Tietema Rockets) are starting. The Portuguese continental team Anicolor-Tien 21 sends Artem Nych and Alexis Guerin, the top two in the Tour of Portugal.
There are plenty of sprinters at the start of this year’s Tour of Britain. We count four sprint opportunities, at least for the stronger sprinters. Visma | Lease a Bike will carry all the pressure with their royal duo Olav Kooij and Matthew Brennan at the start. How will the workload be divided? On paper, both are faster than the other sprinters, and Brennan can also handle a climb. With Edoardo Affini and Niklas Behrens, there is enough horsepower supporting Kooij and Brennan.
Soudal Quick-Step fields the duo Luke Lamperti and Ethan Hayter, while Lidl-Trek will ride for young talent Tim Torn Teutenberg. If UAE Emirates XRG wants to keep building their victory tally, they will look to the always strong Sebastian Molano. In his pursuit of professional win number 100, Alexander Kristoff will also mix in the bunch sprints in the Tour of Britain.
Other names at the start include Alberto Dainese (Tudor), Hugo Hofstetter (Israel-Premier Tech), Sam Watson (INEOS Grenadiers), Sam Bennett, Tord Gudmestad (Decathlon AG2R), John Degenkolb (Picnic PostNL), Matthew Walls (Groupama-FDJ), Milan Menten, Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto), Davide Bomboi (Unibet Tietema Rockets), Marc Brustenga (Equipo Kern Pharma), and Jules Hesters (Team Flanders-Baloise).
The riders should expect variable weather in the Tour of Britain. At the start in Woodbridge, it will be 20 degrees Celsius with sunshine but also a chance of rain. On day two in Stowmarket, it will be a bit warmer but wetter conditions are predicted. The same conditions await on days three, four, five, and six. In short, relatively good expectations, but as is typical in Britain, the weather can change suddenly.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Romain Gregoire |
| 2024 |  Stephen Williams |
| 2023 |  Wout van Aert |
| 2022 |  Gonzalo Serrano |
| 2021 | Wout van Aert |
| 2019 |  Mathieu van der Poel |
| 2018 | Julian Alaphilippe |
| 2017 | Lars Boom |
| 2016 | Stephen Cummings |
| 2015 |  Edvald Boasson-Hagen |
Stephen Williams won two stages and the overall classification - photo: Cor Vos
Tour of Britain| Rank | Rider | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | 04:11:35 | |
| 2 | - | + 01 | |
| 3 | - | + 04 | |
| 4 | - | + 06 | |
| 5 | - | + 08 | |
| 6 | - | + 09 | |
| 7 | - | " | |
| 8 | - | + 10 | |
| 9 | - | " | |
| 10 | - | " |
Tour of BritainWoodbridge
Cardiff| Date | Stage | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 02-09 | 1 | Woodbridge | Southwold |
| 03-09 | 2 | Stowmarket | Stowmarket |
| 04-09 | 3 | Milton Keynes | Ampthill |
| 05-09 | 4 | Atherstone | Burton Dassett Country Park |
| 06-09 | 5 | Pontypool | Tumble |
| 07-09 | 6 | Newport | Cardiff |
Stowmarket) Stowmarket
Milton Keynes) Ampthill
Atherstone) Burton Dassett Country Park
Remco Evenepoel - photo: Cor Vos
Romain Grégoire - photo: Cor Vos
Oscar Onley - photo: Cor Vos
photo: Cor Vos
