Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes map UK Grand Départ routes for 2027
Routes for the 2027 Grand Départs have been confirmed, taking the men’s Tour from Edinburgh to Cardiff over three days and sending the women’s peloton from Leeds to London via Manchester and Sheffield.
The route for the 2027 Grand Départs of the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been confirmed, setting out a three-stage journey across Scotland, England and Wales for the men’s race and a north-to-south route across England for the women’s peloton.
The men’s Tour will begin in Edinburgh on Friday 2 July 2027 with a stage to Carlisle, crossing Midlothian and the Scottish Borders before finishing beneath the city’s medieval castle. The opening day includes a single categorised climb, the Côte de Melrose in the Eildon Hills.
Stage two starts in Keswick and winds through the Lake District National Park, passing Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere. After skirting the Morecambe Bay coastline, the route turns inland across a series of climbs on the edge of the Pennines before finishing on The Strand in Liverpool.
The final UK stage takes place in Wales on Sunday 4 July, starting in Welshpool and finishing in Cardiff. Eight categorised climbs are packed into the route, six of them in the final 80 kilometres, including the Côte de Rhigos and the Côte de Caerffili, before the race heads back to France.
Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director, said the routes reflected “the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain”, adding that bringing both Grand Départs to the UK was “a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK”.
The women’s Tour will follow later that month, beginning in Leeds on Friday 30 July. The opening stage crosses the Pennines to Manchester, before stage two heads through the Peak District to Sheffield on Saturday 31 July, with the Snake Pass among the expected climbs.
The UK leg of the women’s race concludes with a stage in London on Sunday 1 August, with further details of the capital route to be announced in the spring. Marion Rousse, director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, said the stages reflected the race’s ambition “to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations”.
Organisers said the routes were designed to showcase Britain’s landscapes and communities, taking in the Lake District, Peak District and Bannau Brycheiniog national parks alongside major cities and smaller towns. The announcement was marked by a coordinated illumination on Thursday evening, with yellow beams lighting up all ten host locations simultaneously.
British Cycling also confirmed plans to recruit around 7,000 volunteers and announced a new social impact programme linked to the Grand Départ. Jon Dutton, the governing body’s chief executive, described the event as “a once-in-a-generation chance to build a healthier, more active and more connected nation”, adding that the aim was to create a legacy that would last beyond the departure of the peloton.
The route for the 2027 Grand Départs of the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been confirmed, setting out a three-stage journey across Scotland, England and Wales for the men’s race and a north-to-south route across England for the women’s peloton.
The men’s Tour will begin in Edinburgh on Friday 2 July 2027 with a stage to Carlisle, crossing Midlothian and the Scottish Borders before finishing beneath the city’s medieval castle. The opening day includes a single categorised climb, the Côte de Melrose in the Eildon Hills.
Stage two starts in Keswick and winds through the Lake District National Park, passing Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere. After skirting the Morecambe Bay coastline, the route turns inland across a series of climbs on the edge of the Pennines before finishing on The Strand in Liverpool.
The final UK stage takes place in Wales on Sunday 4 July, starting in Welshpool and finishing in Cardiff. Eight categorised climbs are packed into the route, six of them in the final 80 kilometres, including the Côte de Rhigos and the Côte de Caerffili, before the race heads back to France.
Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director, said the routes reflected “the beauty and diversity of Britain’s terrain”, adding that bringing both Grand Départs to the UK was “a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK”.
The women’s Tour will follow later that month, beginning in Leeds on Friday 30 July. The opening stage crosses the Pennines to Manchester, before stage two heads through the Peak District to Sheffield on Saturday 31 July, with the Snake Pass among the expected climbs.
The UK leg of the women’s race concludes with a stage in London on Sunday 1 August, with further details of the capital route to be announced in the spring. Marion Rousse, director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, said the stages reflected the race’s ambition “to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations”.
Organisers said the routes were designed to showcase Britain’s landscapes and communities, taking in the Lake District, Peak District and Bannau Brycheiniog national parks alongside major cities and smaller towns. The announcement was marked by a coordinated illumination on Thursday evening, with yellow beams lighting up all ten host locations simultaneously.
British Cycling also confirmed plans to recruit around 7,000 volunteers and announced a new social impact programme linked to the Grand Départ. Jon Dutton, the governing body’s chief executive, described the event as “a once-in-a-generation chance to build a healthier, more active and more connected nation”, adding that the aim was to create a legacy that would last beyond the departure of the peloton.
Featured image: James Maloney/SWpix.com
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