Tour of Britain: Cardiff to host final stage after race opens in Edinburgh

Steve Cummings became only the second British rider to win the rebranded event last year

Cardiff will host the 2017 Tour of Britain final stage for the first time, with the race to open in Edinburgh on Sunday, 3 September.

The eight-stage event, won last year by Britain's Steve Cummings, will conclude with a 180km stage finishing in the Welsh capital on 10 September.

It will be only the fourth time since the race was revived in 2004 that it has finished outside London.

Welsh government economy secretary Ken Skates has called it "a real coup".

"I am sure people in Cardiff will come out in their droves to support the race," he added.

Wales has hosted a stage of the Tour of Britain annually since 2010, including the opening stage from Anglesey in 2015.

The 180km stage eight will begin in Worcester and pass through Monmouthshire and Newport before finishing in Cardiff

• Stage one, 3 September: Edinburgh to Kelso

• Stage two, 4 September: Kielder Water & Forest Park to Blyth

• Stage three, 5 September: Normanby Hall Country Park to Scunthorpe

• Stage four, 6 September: Mansfield to Newark-on-Trent

• Stage five, 7 September: The Tendring Stage Individual Time Trial

• Stage six, 8 September: Newmarket to Aldeburgh

• Stage seven, 9 September: Hemel Hempstead to Cheltenham

• Stage eight, 10 September: Worcester to Cardiff