Event guide · Jul 2–Jul 25, 2027
The first Tour stage in Wales goes from Welshpool over the Brecon Beacons and through the valleys to a hilly finish in Cardiff.
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.
| # | Climb | Position | Length | Average | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Côte d'Epynt | km 85.5 (137.5 to go) | 3.7 km | 7.9 % | 450 m |
| 2 | Côte de Bannau Brycheiniog | km 121.5 (101.5 to go) | 6.6 km | 3.5 % | 441 m |
| 3 | Côte de Rhigos | km 145.5 (77.5 to go) | 4.6 km | 5.8 % | 486 m |
| 4 | Côte de Penrhys | km 160.5 (62.5 to go) | 1.3 km | 10.1 % | 284 m |
| 5 | Côte de Maerdy | km 169.0 (54.0 to go) | 1.5 km | 8.7 % | 408 m |
| 6 | Côte de Gelligaer | km 193.0 (30.0 to go) | 1.4 km | 4.9 % | 242 m |
| 7 | Côte de Hengoed | km 197.5 (25.5 to go) | 0.7 km | 11.0 % | 194 m |
| 8 | Côte de Caerffili | km 210.5 (12.5 to go) | 2.0 km | 8.1 % | 247 m |
| Kilometer | Place | Altitude |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Welshpool - Y Trallwng | 72 m |
| 15.5 | Newtown - Y Drenewydd | 104 m |
| 59.5 | Llandrindod Wells - Llandrindod | 201 m |
| 72.0 | Builth Wells - Llanfair-Ym-Muallt | 123 m |
| 85.5 | Côte d'Epynt | 450 m |
| 107.0 | Brecon - Aberhonddu | 190 m |
| 121.5 | Côte de Bannau Brycheiniog | 441 m |
| 138.5 | Hirwaun | 199 m |
| 145.5 | Côte de Rhigos | 486 m |
| 154.5 | Treorchy - Treorci | 170 m |
| 160.5 | Côte de Penrhys | 284 m |
| 163.0 | Ferndale - Glynrhedynog | 224 m |
| 169.0 | Côte de Maerdy | 408 m |
| 174.0 | Aberdare - Aberdar | 204 m |
| 188.5 | Nelson | 138 m |
| 193.0 | Côte de Gelligaer | 242 m |
| 197.5 | Côte de Hengoed | 194 m |
| 206.0 | Caerphilly - Caerffili | 84 m |
| 210.5 | Côte de Caerffili | 247 m |
| Finish, km 223.0 | Cardiff - Caerdydd | 14 m |
Welshpool is a market town in Powys on the River Severn, about four miles from the English border, and the Montgomery Canal runs through it. Powis Castle stands on its edge. The Tour has never raced in Wales, and this stage is the first.
Cardiff has been the capital of Wales since 1955. The city grew around a Norman castle built inside a Roman fort, and the Principality Stadium stands beside it. It has never hosted the Tour before, and ASO has not said where in the center the stage finishes.
Course figures: Organizer's profile, as reproduced by TourdeFranceParcours.fr, read 2026-10-22. Distances and altitudes may change when the route is homologated.
