{"id":698337,"date":"2026-01-15T19:53:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/698337\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T19:53:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:53:20","slug":"historic-day-for-british-sport-leeds-liverpool-london-and-cardiff-confirmed-as-2027-tour-de-france-host-cities-as-talks-over-free-to-air-tv-coverage-of-uk-grand-depart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/698337\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cHistoric day for British sport\u201d: Leeds, Liverpool, London, and Cardiff confirmed as 2027 Tour de France host cities \u2013 as talks over free-to-air TV coverage of UK Grand D\u00e9part \u201congoing\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, and Cardiff have all been confirmed as host cities of the 2027 editions of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s Tour de France, which will see six stages in total of cycling\u2019s biggest race\u00a0take place in the UK, in what was described by the organiser of next summer\u2019s Grands D\u00e9parts as a \u201chistoric day for British sport\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n

13 years on from the men\u2019s Tour\u2019s triumphant visit to Yorkshire, the 2027 Tour de France Femmes will get underway in Leeds, it was announced on Thursday, making it only the third city, after Paris and Rotterdam, to host the Grand D\u00e9part of both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s Tours.<\/p>\n

After leaving Leeds, the opening two stages of the 2027 Tour Femmes will finish in Manchester and Sheffield (via Snake Pass), while a circuit-based stage in London will bring a fitting end to the Tour\u2019s first ever double foreign Grand D\u00e9part.<\/p>\n

The full route details of the UK start to the 2027 men\u2019s Tour were also confirmed on Thursday, with Scotland, England, and Wales all set to feature on the race\u2019s itinerary, which will include stage finishes in Carlisle, Liverpool, and Cardiff.<\/p>\n

\"TourTour de France Grand Depart Leeds (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

\u201cI will always remember heading to the Headrow in Leeds three and half hours before the start of stage one in 2014, and there were so many people. It was like a tunnel of noise,\u201d the Tour\u2019s general director Christian Prudhomme said during the press conference unveiling the routes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the success of 2014 and London in 2007, we were very keen to get back to the UK. 2007 was the first time I ever saw the riders applauding the crowds. We\u2019ve found in the UK a love of cycling and a passion for the Tour.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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\u2019s terrain. Bringing both Grands D\u00e9parts here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, following the demise of ITV\u2019s Tour coverage last year and the decision to move cycling from Eurosport to the more expensive TNT Sports package, the managing director of the 2027 Grand D\u00e9part, Paul Bush, revealed that talks are still \u201congoing\u201d concerning the possibility of airing the race\u2019s opening British stages on free-to-air TV.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s on the menu for 2027?<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France Hommes Grand Depart Route (credit: ASO)<\/p>\n

C\u00f4tes and diaries at the ready, here\u2019s a quick rundown of what you can expect when cycling\u2019s biggest race crosses the channel in 18 months\u2019 time.<\/p>\n

As confirmed last March<\/a>, the 2027 Tour Hommes will start in Edinburgh on Friday 2 July, with what Prudhomme promises will be an \u201cunforgettable\u201d Grand D\u00e9part in front of the Scottish capital\u2019s iconic castle \u2013 marking the beginning of what the Tour director described as a \u201cfour nations tournament\u201d that will take in Scotland, England, Wales, and of course France.<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage one (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage one (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

\u00a0A rolling 184km opening stage greets the riders \u2013 featuring just the one categorised climb, the C\u00f4te de Melrose (first C\u00f4te already), in the Eildon Hills \u2013 before crossing the border for a finish tailormade for the sprinters outside Carlisle Castle.<\/p>\n

While the first stage is designed for the fast men, the Tour peloton will not be gently eased into the 2027 race, thanks to two extremely long stages that will take them down to Wales before the trek back to France.<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage two (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage two (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

Stage two will begin in Keswick, in the heart of the Lake District, before heading south towards the Morecambe Bay coastline on a \u201cdemanding\u201d 223km route, featuring five categorised climbs. The last of those, the Parbold, will be tackled with 32km to go, perhaps teeing up a reduced bunch sprint in Liverpool, along the Strand.<\/p>\n

It will be a case of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu \u2013 but tougher \u2013 for the riders on stage three, as another 223km slog takes them from Welshpool to Cardiff via eight stinging, steep climbs in Wales (including the Epynt, Rhigos, and Maerdy) and 3,000m of combined elevation.<\/p>\n

The final stage of the men\u2019s UK visit will likely see the yellow jersey changing hands, with Caerphilly Mountain, at 2km and an average of\u00a08.1 per cent, almost certain\u00a0to split things up.<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage three (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France stage three (credit: road.cc)<\/p>\n

Thanks to the Tour\u2019s Friday start, and due to the logistical challenges of travelling back to France, the peloton will then be greeted with a much-needed travel day on Monday (described by Prudhomme as a \u201cjoker rest day\u201d), a now regular feature in far-flung Grands D\u00e9parts.<\/p>\n

\"20272027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Depart Route (credit: ASO)<\/p>\n

While the Tour Hommes will adopt a GB-wide approach, the Grand D\u00e9part of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes will be an all-English affair, with Leeds resuming its duties as host city from 2014, and Manchester, Sheffield, and London all set to feature in what looks set to be a historic, groundbreaking moment for women\u2019s cycling in the UK.<\/p>\n

While the full details of the Femmes route will be announced at a later date, race director Marion Rousse \u2013 who paid tribute to Yorkshire cycling legends\u00a0Beryl Burton and Lizzie Deignan, as well as the pioneering Millie Robinson \u2013 revealed that stage one, from Leeds to Manchester on Friday 30 July, will be one for the sprinters.<\/p>\n

Stage two will flip that narrative on its head, however, with a tough route from Manchester to Sheffield (the scene of eventual yellow jersey winner Vincenzo Nibali’s stage-winning late attack in 2014)\u00a0set to include the iconic Snake Pass.<\/p>\n

The third stage will then see the riders race around the streets of London, in a repeat of the 2007 men\u2019s race, a stage described by Rousse as a \u201cdream come true\u201d.<\/p>\n

>\u00a0The Tour de France Femmes\u2019 Long and Winding Road: A brief history of the women\u2019s Tour de France<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The Tour Femmes\u2019 visit to the UK, Rousse said, builds on the support for hosting elite women\u2019s sport in Britain, including the recent rugby World Cup, and will aim to \u201cgive young women the opportunity to dream and see what they could achieve\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"LizzieLizzie Deignan, 2024 Olympic road race (credit: Zac Williams\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

\u201cTo experience the magic of the Tour with my children, but see ponytails coming out of the back of the helmets, will be brilliant,\u201d former world champion Deignan, speaking at the event, added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no downside to this, it\u2019s all positive. The amount of children who come up to me and talk about watching me win a medal in London 2012, or their memories of me racing \u2013 if you can\u2019t see it, you can\u2019t be it. And this is going to inspire so many girls and boys.\u201d<\/p>\n

>\u00a0Scottish Tour de France Grand D\u00e9part budget trebles to over \u00a310 million<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

As part of the route reveal, the organisers also announced the launch of Joy, a social impact programme at the heart of the 2027 Grand D\u00e9part, which aims to tackle inactivity and improve mental wellbeing, support communities to thrive, and to \u201cmake Britain more productive and prosperous\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf 2014 is anything to go by, the legacy will be significant,\u201d added Prudhomme.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there is a lot of work to do before the Tour arrives, especially with young people and children. We\u2019re working with British Cycling to give people the opportunity to cycle more, so we will have a great impact on the nations we\u2019re riding through \u2013 hopefully improving the health of future generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FansFans at the team presentations, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Men’s Elite Road Race, Edinburgh to Glasgow, Scotland (credit: Pauline Ballet\/SWpix.com)<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Paul Bush, the managing director of the 2027 Grand D\u00e9part, described Thursday\u2019s route announcement as a \u201chistoric day for British sport\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the third biggest sporting event in the world, and it\u2019s free to watch, especially in an era when there is so much debate about the cost of ticketing prices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, when asked about whether any progress has been made in ensuring the races will be available on free-to-air TV, Bush was unable to provide any concrete details.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you\u2019ve probably seen, the contract sits with TNT,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have a commitment to work with Christian and the team at ASO to bring the six stages to free-to-air TV and work on that is ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The excitement is building and the countdown to 2027 has well and truly begun \u2013 but, unsurprisingly, there are still plenty of details to sort\u00a0out before next July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, London, and Cardiff have all been confirmed as host cities of the 2027 editions of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698338,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8814],"tags":[748,393,4884,1860,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-698337","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-leeds","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-leeds","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115900869049292057","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=698337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}