Tour of Britain 2025, September 2-7

[Wyndbrook]

Good going for a man at the age of 923.

Perhaps I caught it from yesterday.

 

[Danskebjerge]

Some race organizers in Norway and Denmark must sit and think "wow, what a startlist for a race in the same category as ours".

 

[Charlyghoul]

Don’t think much to the overall route but the last two stages should be decent. Tumble is a nice hill that I have cycled up in my younger days , it used to always be the finishing point of the junior tour of wales , don’t know if it still is

 

[VO2 Max]

It's still a long, long way from being the best that could be offered, don't get me wrong (they could make them an actual length becoming of a professional race rather than half the race at espoir distance max, or sequence the climbs much better in the Tumble stage to create something much tougher, for example), and it is worth noting that these are all areas and regions we are already well familiar with and so much of the péloton wiill already know (Caerphilly Mountain having been off the menu for several years until recently is therefore kind of a positive), but at the end of the day compared to the last couple of editions of the race this is a huge, huge positive step.

True enough, I was expecting something much harder for the Newport-Cardiff stage but there we are. Tumble, it's a shame the Gospel Pass isn't like 20km further south that would be a great combo. Not sure if the Llangynidr mountain road has ever been in a big race (4km @~7.5% descent finishes 5km before Govilon). Just a shorter loop between the two climbs of the Tumble would make the first one more impactful; take the Llanover road out of Blaenavon and come almost straight back to the climb. But it's the Tour of Britain, it's perfectly fine for what it is.

 

[RedheadDane]

Don’t think much to the overall route but the last two stages should be decent. Tumble is a nice hill that I have cycled up in my younger days , it used to always be the finishing point of the junior tour of wales , don’t know if it still is

Should we expect riders to... take a tumble?

 

[theyoungest]

Don't get Visma's lineup at all. Aside from double bunking Kooij and Brennan, surely you'd send Uijtdebroeks to the only non-Vuelta stage race with a MTF in this part of the calendar?

I don't really get it either, with Brennan the reasoning is probably not more complicated than "he's British, and this is the Tour of Britain". But I do hope they take him to Quebec after this, because I don't think you could come up with a course that's more perfectly suited to Brennan than the GP Quebec. Knowing Visma, they probably won't follow that logic though.

 

[AmRacer]

I don't really get it either, with Brennan the reasoning is probably not more complicated than "he's British, and this is the Tour of Britain". But I do hope they take him to Quebec after this, because I don't think you could come up with a course that's more perfectly suited to Brennan than the GP Quebec. Knowing Visma, they probably won't follow that logic though.

You know who's racing Quebec.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

So I redrew stage 2 with a bit of variation to add some not-very-challenging climbs but to try to give at least some kind of platform for attack moves to come from given the smaller team sizes etc.. I already researched this area trying to make a short stage race seeing as it's clearly a very cycling-supportive region (many years we see at least one race coming through here) and it offers little to the traceur, so you have to work hard to create opportunities, same as route designing in the Netherlands outside of Limburg, or Denmark away from Vejle. Using primarily the same towns and villages that the race does, we can go as far as Sudbury on the stage route, but then a different route to Stoke by Nayland that gives us 800m @ 5% which would be 56km from home, then immediately after the real stage's sole categorised climb, in the village of Semer at the base of the "descent" you could turn onto Watson's Hill which is 800m @ 4,3% but does include 100m at 11% in the middle and even gets allegedly up to 16% briefly. That would be 36km from home - it could be closer but I added a little detour to put in 350m @ 7% on Swingleton Hill in 31km from home, another climb almost immediately after this of around 800m at 3-4%, and then finally cresting 12km from home, the 600m @ 5,8% of Rattlesden Hill, which has the first 250m at over 10%. It wouldn't be much, but at least it's a platform to try to create some separation on. You aren't going to win on pure strength here, it's not long enough to make enough of a difference, but if the right move gets covered by enough big teams that there isn't impetus behind, or if there's indecisiveness in the chase, then there's something to add some tension to the chase for the sprint, in theory. The stage extends to 186km or so and I think you could have Stoke by Nayland, Watson's Hill and Rattlesden Hill as all being worthy of categorisation if the race wanted, or leaving uncategorised if they want. None of them are so challenging that they must be categorised, but all could be.

Idunno, it's not much, but I tried.

As for stage 5, I basically took the first 95km of the real stage, as far as Abergavenny, and then looped around to the north to take on Llangynidr Mountain - I preferred to extend the flat before the climb slightly to take on the north side at 5,7km @ 7,0% but there's also the option of going directly from Crickhowell which is 7,2km @ 6,3% - it features a steeper max with a kilometre at 10,4% in the middle and a longer flatter section in the middle before the final kick up, and would crest 46km from the end, with the descent through Brynmawr and the same faster route between the two ascents of the Tumble that has already been described in the thread - climbing the Tumble cresting just over 23km from the line (this would have the stage finish at 132km, which is in line with the real race) but descending straight into Blaenavon and flat to Brynmawr before the same descent, meaning you'd get three solid climbs in the last 50km and the same sort-of-MTF while only extending the stage to 155km, which is perfectly reasonable and a long way from being overlong.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Good going for a man at the age of 923.

" A mere child of 923" according to @JR1012

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So I redrew stage 2 with a bit of variation ... a different route to Stoke by Nayland that gives us 800m @ 5% which would be 56km from home

and leads directly onto Scotland Street, probably the narrowest part of Wednesday's route, which drops and rises about 35 m in about 1.5km: not a lot, but more likely to split the field than anything they have.

 

[Brullnux]

Cefn Eglwysilan from Pontypridd - Profile of the ascent

Cefn Eglwysilan from Pontypridd is a climb in the region Rhondda Cynon Taf. It is 3.2km long and bridges 264 vertical meters with an average gradient of 8.4%, r

climbfinder.com

This little climb can be joined up with Caerphilly Mountain for a nice 1-2 punch

 

[altigraphs]

I know La Vuelta is getting most of the attention these days but for those of you following the Tour of Britain, I've put together this thing, https://www.altigraphs.com/en/edition/lloyds-tour-of-britain-2025


Here is a summary of today's stage:

Lloyds Tour of Britain 2025 | Stage 2: Stowmarket - Stowmarket

🏷️ Hilly
📏 Distance: 169 km
📈 Ascent: 1,126 m
⛰️ Climbs: 1

🔗 Map and profile: https://www.altigraphs.com/en/lloyds-tour-of-britain-2025/stage-2-stage-2

----

Semer Hill

🏷️ Category 5
📏 Distance: 1.39 km
📈 Ascent: 31 m
📐 Average gradient: 2.27 %

🔗 Map and profile: https://www.altigraphs.com/en/climb-profile/7mcwxd/semer-hill

 

[Berniece]

I know La Vuelta is getting most of the attention these days but for those of you following the Tour of Britain, I've put together this thing, https://www.altigraphs.com/en/edition/lloyds-tour-of-britain-2025


Here is a summary of today's stage:

Lloyds Tour of Britain 2025 | Stage 2: Stowmarket - Stowmarket

🏷️ Hilly
📏 Distance: 169 km
📈 Ascent: 1,126 m
⛰️ Climbs: 1

🔗 Map and profile: https://www.altigraphs.com/en/lloyds-tour-of-britain-2025/stage-2-stage-2

----

Semer Hill

🏷️ Category 5
📏 Distance: 1.39 km
📈 Ascent: 31 m
📐 Average gradient: 2.27 %

🔗 Map and profile: https://www.altigraphs.com/en/climb-profile/7mcwxd/semer-hill

That's stage 2, when today is stage 1. Nice stuff besides that though.

 

[theyoungest]

You know who's racing Quebec.

You mean Pogacar? He'll be unbeatable in Montreal, but the GP Quebec is different.

 

[altigraphs]

Sorry, my bad, I don't even know what day is any more . Today's stage, aka stage 1

Lloyds Tour of Britain 2025 | Stage 1: Woodbridge - Southwold

🏷️ Flat
📏 Distance: 162 km
📈 Ascent: 1,111 m

🔗 Map and profile: https://www.altigraphs.com/en/lloyds-tour-of-britain-2025/stage-1-stage-1

 

[Berniece]

Some rain today but not enough wind for echelons

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Some rain today but not enough wind for echelons

too many wind sheltering hedge-rows as well.

 

[titan31]

You mean Pogacar? He'll be unbeatable in Montreal, but the GP Quebec is different.

Assume he means WVA, so Brennan wouldn't be given a lead role

 

[theyoungest]

Assume he means WVA, so Brennan wouldn't be given a lead role

They would be complementary... Van Aert to try and follow attacks, Brennan for the bunch sprint.

 

[wansteadimp]

They would be complementary... Van Aert to try and follow attacks, Brennan for the bunch sprint.

Is it still expected to be a bunch sprint with the new circuit in Quebec?

 

[VO2 Max]

Cefn Eglwysilan from Pontypridd - Profile of the ascent

Cefn Eglwysilan from Pontypridd is a climb in the region Rhondda Cynon Taf. It is 3.2km long and bridges 264 vertical meters with an average gradient of 8.4%, r

climbfinder.com

This little climb can be joined up with Caerphilly Mountain for a nice 1-2 punch

that was part of our regular training routes back when I was racing. But you know, there's about a million ways you could make that stage wayharder and plenty of spare km's you could add to the length, presumably they just didn't want that for the last stage. They've got to be desperately hoping that Geraint can make one last big effort up Caerphilly and be close to the front for the run in.

Saturday's the frustrating one because they obviously tried to make it hard. @Libertine has nailed the route for that one (and has it going right past my house which would be nice).

 

[Tim Cahill]

Ah good it's on ITV, I was wondering how the donkey sanctuary was getting on.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

G with a puncture. GC probably over....
edit: back in the bunch

 

[Tim Cahill]

Thomas I believe said he had no form coming into the race so will probably just ride it in.

 

[Brullnux]

Southwold is one of the key stops of Sebald's walking route/historical adventure/philosophical exploration in Rings of Saturn. I think that is probably what the town is most famous for, along with the fact it's quite posh and has a good seafront/pier.