FFor the first time, the Tour de France will start in Scotland, with Edinburgh confirmed as the host city for the 2027 Grand Départ. Announced today on the Royal Mile, the news marks a significant milestone for British cycling, bringing the sport’s biggest event back to UK roads.
Not only will the 114th edition of Le TourHommes will begin in Scotland, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will also take place in the UK in 2027, marking the first time both the men’s and women’s Grand Départs will take place in the same country outside France.
The full route will be confirmed later this year, but speculation points to the race moving south through the Scottish Borders, potentially passing through Northumberland before reaching England. A stage finish in Wales has also been rumoured, marking another first. Further details of the routes for both races will be revealed in the autumn.
The Tour’s return to Britain will no doubt generate enthusiasm, but whether it leaves a lasting legacy for domestic road racing is another question. The last time the Tour visited in 2014, it sparked the creation of the Tour de Yorkshire, a race that became a highlight of the domestic calendar. Yet that event folded in 2022, joining a growing list of defunct UCI races in the UK.
Meanwhile, the domestic road racing scene at the elite level has struggled in recent years. The men’s peloton no longer has a single UCI Continental team, while race organisers continue to battle rising costs and logistical challenges. It has now been over a year since the Elite Road Task Force published its recommendations to revitalise elite road racing in Britain, but British Cycling’s latest update on their implementation revealed little progress. Against this backdrop, the question is: will the 2027 Tour Grand Départ be a one-off spectacle, or can it help rebuild the sport at home?
Certainly, the organisers hope that the event will have a lasting impact. As part of the build-up to 2027, they have committed to a social impact programme aimed at increasing participation, improving mental wellbeing, and boosting local economies.
Scotland’s inclusion in Le Tour follows previous UK visits to Plymouth (1974), Portsmouth, Brighton, and Dover (1994), London (2007), and Yorkshire (2014). Each generated excitement, drew huge crowds, and brought elite racing to British roads. Will 2027 mark a turning point, or will British road racing be left asking the same questions a decade from now?
FFor the first time, the Tour de France will start in Scotland, with Edinburgh confirmed as the host city for the 2027 Grand Départ. Announced today on the Royal Mile, the news marks a significant milestone for British cycling, bringing the sport’s biggest event back to UK roads.
Not only will the 114th edition of Le Tour Hommes will begin in Scotland, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will also take place in the UK in 2027, marking the first time both the men’s and women’s Grand Départs will take place in the same country outside France.
The full route will be confirmed later this year, but speculation points to the race moving south through the Scottish Borders, potentially passing through Northumberland before reaching England. A stage finish in Wales has also been rumoured, marking another first. Further details of the routes for both races will be revealed in the autumn.
The Tour’s return to Britain will no doubt generate enthusiasm, but whether it leaves a lasting legacy for domestic road racing is another question. The last time the Tour visited in 2014, it sparked the creation of the Tour de Yorkshire, a race that became a highlight of the domestic calendar. Yet that event folded in 2022, joining a growing list of defunct UCI races in the UK.
Meanwhile, the domestic road racing scene at the elite level has struggled in recent years. The men’s peloton no longer has a single UCI Continental team, while race organisers continue to battle rising costs and logistical challenges. It has now been over a year since the Elite Road Task Force published its recommendations to revitalise elite road racing in Britain, but British Cycling’s latest update on their implementation revealed little progress. Against this backdrop, the question is: will the 2027 Tour Grand Départ be a one-off spectacle, or can it help rebuild the sport at home?
Certainly, the organisers hope that the event will have a lasting impact. As part of the build-up to 2027, they have committed to a social impact programme aimed at increasing participation, improving mental wellbeing, and boosting local economies.
Scotland’s inclusion in Le Tour follows previous UK visits to Plymouth (1974), Portsmouth, Brighton, and Dover (1994), London (2007), and Yorkshire (2014). Each generated excitement, drew huge crowds, and brought elite racing to British roads. Will 2027 mark a turning point, or will British road racing be left asking the same questions a decade from now?
Featured image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
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