Geraint Thomas Plans Final Tour of Britain Race in Wales

Geraint Thomas, the 2018 Tour de France winner and two-time Olympic champion, plans to retire at this year's Lloyds Tour of Britain, which will feature a special farewell on his home roads in South Wales. The six-day race, held from September 2-7, will start in Suffolk and pass through southern England before concluding with two stages in Wales, including a final stage in Cardiff city centre. The penultimate stage will begin in Pontypool and include two ascents of The Tumble, a challenging 5km climb, while the final stage will start at the Geraint Thomas National Velodrome in Newport, pass the Maindy Velodrome—home of his original cycling club—and finish in Cardiff. Thomas, who has competed with the Ineos Grenadiers team since 2010, has expressed that finishing his career on home roads is a perfect and fairytale ending. The Tour of Britain’s route honors Thomas’ legacy, with the race director and former coach Rod Ellingworth facilitating the Welsh finale. This event marks the end of Thomas's 19-year professional career before he is expected to transition into a leadership role within his team.