Tour of Britain returns to Caerphilly County Borough

Thousands of people lined the streets as the Tour of Britain raced through the towns and villages of Caerphilly County Borough on Sunday – despite the wet weather.

The final stage of the annual event came back to south Wales this year, starting in Newport and finishing in Cardiff.

En route, the tour entered the borough through Pontymister, heading up the Lower Sirhowy Valley before passing through Pontllanfraith and Blackwood.

From there, the route took the cyclists through Crumlin and up into Blaenau Gwent, passing Ebbw Vale before dropping back down to Markham – where the race was briefly paused due to a cow wandering onto the road.

From there, the testing route led the competitors through New Tredegar and Rhymney, before coming back down through the Darran Valley, to Bargoed, and through Gelligaer.

From there, cyclists crossed over to Trelewis and into Nelson, racing through Ystrad Mynach and Llanbradach before blistering through Caerphilly town centre as the finish line drew closer.

Then it was up over Caerphilly Mountain and down into Cardiff as the 2025 Tour of Britain drew to a close.

The final stage of the competition was won by Dutchman Olav Kooij, of Team Visma, while Great British duo Samuel Watson, of INEOS Grenadiers, and Fred Wright of Bahrain Victorious, finished second and third respectively.

But it was Frenchman Romain Gregoire, of Groupama FDJ, who claimed overall victory on the day.

Finishing second overall was Soudal Quick-Step’s Remco Evanepoel, of Belgium, with France’s Julian Alaphilippe, of Tudor Pro Cycling Team, in third.

But while the biggest names in cycling passed the borough’s homes, businesses, greenery, and attractions alike, much of the focus was on one man – Wales’ Geraint Thomas.

The 2018 Tour de France winner, who hails from Cardiff, was competing in his last race before retirement – finishing 32nd in the final stage.

It was the first time since 2023 that the annual event came through Caerphilly County Borough – with Caerphilly’s Twyn Car Park hosting the victory celebrations two years ago.