The 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be hosted by 10 towns and cities across Great Britain during their historic Grands Départ next year, it was revealed on Thursday.
The men’s race was last year announced to be starting in Edinburgh before heading south, while it was confirmed this week that the women’s race will start in Leeds before two more stages in England. It will be the first time both Tours have started in the same foreign country.
It will be the first time that the Tour has come to Britain since 2014 when the Grand Départ took place in Yorkshire, and the third time that the race has begun in the UK, with London hosting in 2007. The 1994 Tour also visited England, for two stages mid-race and in 1974 Plymouth welcomed the race. The women’s race has never crossed the channel.
“The UK has always welcomed the Tour with passion and pride, and the route details we are revealing today reflect the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain,” Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, said. “Bringing both Grand Départs here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK.”
His Tour de France Femmes counterpart, Marion Rousse, added: “The United Kingdom has played an important role in the history of women’s cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Deignan. Starting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Leeds is a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour.
“These stages clearly reflect the race’s ambition: to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations.”
Crowds in Cambridgeshire the last time the Tour came to Britain
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“The UK has hosted unforgettable Grand Départs before, but 2027 will be bigger than anything we’ve seen – with both the men’s and women’s pelotons starting here together for the historic very first time,” Paul Bush, the managing director of Grand Départ GB, added. “This will be a ‘moment for the Nation’ and is a once in a generation opportunity to inspire more people to experience the joy and freedom of cycling.”
Alongside the route announcement, Joy, a social impact programme aiming to “tackle inactivity and improve mental wellbeing, support communities to thrive, and to make Britain more productive and prosperous” was announced. British Cycling will also look to recruit more than 7,000 volunteers to help deliver the evets.
“This is a once‑in‑a‑generation chance to build a healthier, more active and more connected nation,” BC’s chief executive, Jon Dutton, said. “It shows the power of major events when they’re done right, and British Cycling is proud to help deliver a legacy that will be felt long after the peloton has left UK shores.”
Tour de France 2027 Grand Départ details
|
Stage |
Date |
Start |
Finish |
Distance |
Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1 |
Friday 2 July |
Edinburgh |
Carlisle |
183km |
Flat |
|
Stage 2 |
Saturday 3 July |
Keswick |
Liverpool |
223km |
Hilly |
|
Stage 3 |
Sunday 4 July |
Welshpool |
Cardiff |
223km |
Medium mountains |
|
Rest day |
Row 3 – Cell 1 | Row 3 – Cell 2 | Row 3 – Cell 3 | Row 3 – Cell 4 | Row 3 – Cell 5 |
After rolling out of Edinburgh, the 2027 Tour de France will head south-west to Carlisle on the English border after spending most of the day in Scotland. There will be one categorised climb, the ‘Côte de Melrose’ in the Eildon Hills, and will pass through Midlothian, the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway and then Cumbria.
Stage two begins in Keswick in the Lake District National Park, and will pass through Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere. The peloton will then skirt the Morecambe Bay coastline, before heading to the Lancashire fells via Lancaster and what the organisers are calling the ‘Côte de Jubilee Tower’, 4.1km at 5.7%. There will be four more categorised climbs on the edge of the Pennines before the stage finishes on The Strand in the centre of Liverpool.
The final day in Britain for the Tour begins in the Welsh border town of Welshpool with a tough stage across Wales to Cardiff. There will be eight categorised climbs on the Sunday, including six in the final 80km through the Bannau Brycheiniog. The two confirmed are the ‘Côte de Rhigos’, 5.2km at 5%, and the ‘Côte de Caerffili’, or Caerphilly Mountain, 1.3km at 10.1%. Both are fixtures of the Tour of Britain.
Tour de France Femmes 2027 Grand Départ details
|
Stage |
Date |
Start |
Finish |
Distance |
Terrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1 |
Friday 30 July |
Leeds |
Manchester |
TBA |
Hilly |
|
Stage 2 |
Saturday 31 July |
Manchester |
Sheffield |
TBA |
Hilly |
|
Stage 3 |
Sunday 1 August |
London |
London |
TBA |
Flat |
|
Rest day/Stage 4 |
Row 3 – Cell 1 | Row 3 – Cell 2 | Row 3 – Cell 3 | Row 3 – Cell 4 | Row 3 – Cell 5 |
Less is confirmed about the Tour de France Femmes’ Grand Départ. Stage one will cross the Pennines east to west before finishing in Manchester, before stage two heads east across the same range of hills from Manchester to Leeds.
Stage two will feature the famous climbs of the Peak District, including the ‘Côte de Snake Pass’, 6.1% at 5.7%, which could be tough enough to split the race.
The final day of the women’s race will take place in London, but more details about this are promised in the spring.
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