Stage 3 of the 2027 Tour de France runs 223 km from Welshpool to Cardiff on Sunday, July 4, and it is the first Tour stage held in Wales. The day is hilly, with about 3,000 meters of climbing, and it is the last stage in Britain.
The route goes south through Llandrindod Wells, Builth Wells and Brecon, crosses Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) National Park, then drops into the Rhondda and Cynon valleys and passes Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly before it reaches Cardiff.
Rhondda Cynon Taf council names three climbs on the route: Rhigos, Penrhys and Maerdy. ProCyclingUK puts the climb at Caerphilly at 2 km at 8.2 percent, about 12 km from the finish. Short, steep climbs close to the finish are where a rider who wants time can take it before the race reaches France.
Race director Christian Prudhomme expects the day to suit punchy riders. “At Cardiff, Cherbourg-en-Cotentin and Plumelec, the puncheurs will be at ease,” he told France 3 (translated from French by WatchCycling). The Tour then flies to France for a rest day in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin on Monday, July 5.