Tour de France 2027 to start in Edinburgh, with Tour de France Femmes opening in Leeds

Tour de France organisers ASO presented the 2027 routes for the men's race and the Tour de France Femmes in Paris on Thursday.

The men's race will start in Edinburgh, the most northerly start in the race's history. It opens with three stages in Britain: in Scotland, England and then Wales. The Pyrenees will host the competitive finale.

The Tour de France Femmes will begin in Leeds, England. It will have nine stages, starting on 30 July 2027. Its opening section includes a team time trial in central London. The race will end on the Puy de Dôme volcano.

The British stages

According to the BBC, the men's race begins on 2 July with a 184km stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle. Stage two is a 223km ride from Keswick to Liverpool. Stage three, on 4 July, runs 223km from Welshpool to Cardiff.

The BBC reports that women's stage one is an 85.7km race from Leeds to Manchester. Stage two runs 154.4km from Manchester to Sheffield. According to the BBC, the London team time trial is an 18km circuit from Whitehall to The Mall. The BBC also says this is the first time both races share a "Super Grand Depart".

The rest of the routes

According to the Guardian, this is the 114th edition of the Tour. It is the fifth time in six years that the race starts abroad. The Guardian reports 28 climbs, two individual time trials and three summit finishes. The highest point is the Col du Portet (2,215m) on stage 18. The route does not include Alpe d'Huez, Ventoux, Galibier or Izoard. The final stage climbs Montmartre for the third year running. The Guardian says Tadej Pogacar will be bidding for a record sixth Tour win.

The Guardian reports that the women's race runs from 30 July to 7 August 2027.

What is disputed

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not describe any dispute over the routes. The BBC and the Guardian describe the London team time trial differently. The Guardian calls it the race's first ever team time trial. The BBC quotes Paul Bush calling it "the first of its kind in the modern history of the race".

What each side says

Tour director Christian Prudhomme says the early stages aim to make the race unpredictable. The Guardian quoted him as saying: "The first 10 days are designed to keep the jerseys changing hands, the best puncheurs in the world against the overall favourites." He also said: "If you want to discover other climbs, you have to accept that we don't systematically use the best-known ones", according to the Guardian.

Paul Bush, managing director of Grand Depart GB 2027, called the announcement historic, according to the BBC.

UK sports minister Stephanie Peacock said, according to the BBC: "Our £32m will fund the races and a lasting legacy, so the public feel the benefits long after the last rider crosses the line."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not give the end date of the men's race. They do not break down how the £32m will be spent.

Analysis

The shared British start puts both races in one host nation in the same year, which the BBC describes as a first. That could raise the profile of the women's race, though the reports do not include data on audiences or economic effects. Prudhomme's stated aim of an open first 10 days and less-used climbs may shape race tactics, but outcomes depend on riders and conditions. The UK government's £32m commitment is likely to draw questions about how it is spent and what legacy it delivers. The reports reviewed do not answer those questions yet.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.