Edinburgh councillors have agreed to set aside \u00a31.7m to cover costs of hosting the start of the men’s Tour de France 2027.<\/p>\n
Funding to host the opening stage of the world’s most famous cycling race will come from income from the city’s visitor levy<\/a>.<\/p>\n Councillors have been assured the Scottish government would cover any financial overruns beyond the \u00a31.7m price tag.<\/p>\n The Scottish government has been exploring having the country host the Tour de France grand depart for 17 years.<\/p>\n The decision to bring the Tour to Edinburgh builds on a number of recent cycling events in Scotland, including the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships in 2023.<\/p>\n That saw more than a million spectators turning out over 11 days of action.<\/p>\n Crowds at the roadside for the three English stages of the Tour in 2014 were estimated at 4.8 million.<\/p>\n Margaret Arma Graham, City of Edinburgh council’s culture and communities committee convener, said: “I’m very glad that there’s going to be such an emphasis on a sporting event in the city, sometimes these are not always a high priority.<\/p>\n “Cycling in general will get a boost from something so famous coming here.”<\/p>\n Councillors have been told community benefits which could come from striking the deal to host the starting event include free bikes for children and cycling lessons for young people.<\/p>\n The men’s and women’s Tour de France will both begin in Britain in 2027 – with details of the start location for the women’s event still to be announced.<\/p>\n The men’s version of the Tour – which was won this year by Slovenian Tadej Pogacar<\/a> – has been partly staged in Britain four times before, in 1974, 1994, 2007 and 2014.<\/p>\n This will be the first time both men’s and women’s events have come to the same nation outside France in the same year.<\/p>\n