Olav Kooij sealed his third stage win of the week in Cardiff, sprinting past the remnants of the day’s breakaway to cap off the Lloyd’s Tour of Britain Men. The Visma | Lease a Bike sprinter had his timing perfect, surging through in the final 50 metres to deny Fred Wright and Sam Watson.
Behind him, Romain Grégoire crossed safely in 13th place to secure the overall classification by just two seconds, fending off Remco Evenepoel, with Julian Alaphilippe settling for third. For the Frenchman, it marked a breakthrough victory in a stage race against WorldTour opposition.
A nail-biting finale
The stage from Newport to Cardiff was only 113km, but its short length and the inclusion of Caerphilly Mountain twice ensured an explosive race. A four-man breakaway of Julius Johansen, Bastien Tronchon, Wright, and Mats Wenzel animated the day, dangling ahead of the peloton for over 80km.
On the final ascent of Caerphilly Mountain, Evenepoel attacked hard with Grégoire glued to his wheel, while Oscar Onley also tried to force a split. Yet the escapees refused to yield and still held a narrow advantage into the streets of Cardiff. Wright led into the final kilometre, but the catch was made almost on the line as Kooij powered through, Watson slipping past to take second.
Photo Credit: SWPix.comGrégoire delivers in GC fight
The GC battle remained finely balanced until the end, with Grégoire starting the day two seconds ahead of Evenepoel. The Belgian twice tested him on Caerphilly Mountain and the descent that followed, but the 21-year-old showed maturity beyond his years to follow every move.
“It’s crazy, I’m really happy with this win,” Grégoire said at the finish. “It’s incredible to win a general classification in a race like this, and to win ahead of Julian and Remco makes it even bigger. This morning I was nervous because I knew I could win, but I could also be 10th tonight. On the climb I felt good, and with the sprint bonus everything went well. This is a perfect way to start my September block of racing.”
Grégoire also collected the best young rider’s jersey, while Kooij took home the points classification and Victor Vercouillie secured the mountains prize.
Photo Credit: SWPix.comCardiff salutes Geraint Thomas
If the stage belonged to Kooij and the overall to Grégoire, the day itself was a celebration of Geraint Thomas. The 39-year-old lined up for his final professional race on home roads, starting from Newport Velodrome, now named in his honour.
Fans turned out in their thousands despite the rain, Welsh flags and Thomas masks filling the roadside. The peloton formed a guard of honour before the start, while later in the stage, Thomas made the day’s first attack. Ultimately dropped on Caerphilly Mountain, he crossed the line alongside long-time friend Ben Swift to emotional scenes.
“It was emotional across the line. Crossing with Swifty, who I’ve raced with since I was 12, it all came out then. The atmosphere has been unreal all week, and to finish here is unbelievable,” Thomas said.
Post-race celebrations continued at Cardiff Castle, where 4,000 fans gathered to honour the Tour de France winner and double Olympic champion.
A week for Visma | Lease a Bike
For Kooij, Cardiff marked his third stage win of the race after triumphs on stages one and two. Combined with Matthew Brennan’s stage three victory, Visma | Lease a Bike leaves Britain with four wins from six stages.
“We left it up to the GC riders to close the gap today,” Kooij explained. “In the finale we put everything on the stage win, and it really came down to the wire. I’m happy we could finish off all the hard work like this.”
The Dutchman’s 10th victory of the season underlines his continued rise, while Grégoire’s GC win may prove the springboard for an even bigger autumn campaign. Yet above all, stage six of the 2025 Tour of Britain Men will be remembered for the farewell of Geraint Thomas, who leaves the sport as one of Britain’s all-time greats.
2025 Tour of Britain Men Stage 6 result
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2025 Tour of Britain Men GC result
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