BIKEPACKING TO G'S LAST RACE (WELL, 2 STAGES BEFORE HIS LAST EVER RACE!)

It's an odd feeling to have watched and supported someone their ENTIRE career. With the sensation of feeling like a kid going to watch one of his hereos (i'm over 10 yrs older than G), we set off on a small adventure to cheer him on one final time.

It would be a 3 day, 2 night bikepacking trip to Burton Dassett Hills Country Park for the finale of Stage 4 of the Lloyds Tour of Britain 2025.

NIght 1 would be wild campy, somewhere in the Chilterns. We left around 12pm from SW London and made our way out of the city via Heathrow then hit the trails, aiming to hit our proposed campy spot area by around 7pm. This would include a decent pub stop and supply pick up for the evening.

We found somewhere semi decent just in time to pitch before it got proper dark. So camp was made, sleep was had, morning broke and off we went.

Day 2 meant setting off at 8am at the very latest to give ourselves 5 hours to get to the finish line. But the trails and an HS2 diversion meant we cut it fine, but arrived just in time. Saw the legend Big G come past at the rear of the peloton where the soigneurs were, past the top of the finish line. We then made our way to the finsh line to see the the leaders and peloton come past for the last time before the final sprint.

Seeing and hearing all the fans cheering big G on was great. Not going to lie, had a little lump. I'm gutted he's retired. So Chapeau G and good luck on the next chapter.

Once the race had passed and we'd taken some snaps, it was then a LONG 40km ride to a proper campsite for night 2. Get a wash and all that jazz. My riding partner wasn't far from his folks, so it was solo ride back home on Day 3. Into a block headwind. Fun!

Glad to have seen G in his last race. Happy to have had a little late season adventure. Ecstatic to have made it home and into a proper shower and bed!

Here's a small vid of day 1 and 2 finishing with the Tour of Brtain and a little sighting of G.