INTERVIEW | "When Remco was attacked on the descent, that was not fun" - Romain Grégoire survives final stage assault to win 2025 Tour of Britain

The 2025 Tour of Britain concluded with a dramatic final stage and a mix of emotions. Olav Kooij sprinted to victory in the finale, while French talent Romain Grégoire secured the overall title ahead of Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe. For British fans, the day carried added significance as Geraint Thomas drew the curtain on a legendary career, finishing his final professional race on home soil.

While Kooij left with multiple stage victories, it was Grégoire who stood on the top step of the final podium. Speaking to CyclingUpToDate after securing the biggest win of his young career, the French rider admitted he was still processing it all. “I'm really happy. I'm so comfortable to win a race like this. I think it's something rare in a career to win a real competition. So yeah, I just enjoy the moment and I'm really happy for me and for the team.”

The decisive stage brought pressure unlike any he had faced before. “It was a nervous stage. I didn't sleep well, to be honest. The riders behind were really close, so I had to manage it well. But with a really strong team, we did it perfectly, I think, to the bonus second at the breakaway and with a sprint finish. So the day went really well for us.”

Grégoire described how the terrain and race dynamics shaped his approach. “It was not easy, but to be honest, I was pretty confident in the climb. I felt the legs good and I was able to follow the attacks. So that was the right part, but then the descent wasn't really easy also. When Remco was attacked on the descent, that was not a fun moment, but I caught him and then it was perfect.”

The final sprint also carried its risks, though Grégoire believed the quality of riders in contention worked in his favour. “If we had 10 or 15 guys at the sprint finish, it was really dangerous for me, but with brave sprinters like Olav Kooij or Samuel Watson, it was a bit easier for me. So I was confident when I saw the Visma lead out in the final.”

As for where the victory stands in his career, Grégoire was clear that it ranked highly. “I don't know, but really high. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm just happy. To start the September race block like this is something really great and it gives me confidence for the next race.”

For Kooij, the stage win was the perfect end to a memorable week. "It was a fantastic week. It was great to finish it off like this," said Kooij, who admitted his Visma squad had no ambitions in the general classification. "We didn't have anyone close to the top of the standings. We wanted to leave it up to the GC teams in the beginning, who wanted to fight for the bonus seconds."

The Dutch sprinter explained how the day unfolded tactically. "We wanted to go for the stage win. In the end, we put a few riders in front to close the gap to the leading group. In the end, that was just enough." His victory capped a dominant showing in the early part of the race. "The first three days were special. We controlled the race with the whole team. A hat trick like that doesn't happen often. I'll definitely remember this Tour of Britain," he concluded.

Kooij’s reflections were echoed in his team’s official statement after the race. “It’s fantastic to be able to finish this week in such a way,” he said. “The first three days were already very special. That gave us a lot of confidence. Today we made sure, as a team, to end this Tour of Britain in the best possible way.”

The strategy was straightforward, letting the GC riders mark each other while his squad targeted the sprint. “We left it up to the GC riders to close the gap today. They still had something to fight for on the road,” Kooij explained. “In the finale, we put everything on the stage win as a team. It was just enough. It really came down to the wire, but I’m happy we managed to finish off all the hard work of the team like this.”