Cyclingflash
Sprints, steep climbs and big cities: this is the British start of the 2027 Tour de France

Sprints, steep climbs and big cities: this is the British start of the 2027 Tour de France

It has been known for some time that the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes will start in Great Britain in 2027. Now, the stage schedules for the first three (British) days of both races have also been revealed. The profile maps for the men's Tour de France have already been released as well.

The opening stage of the men's Tour de France takes place on Friday, July 2nd, 2027, from Scotland to England. The start is in Edinburgh, with the finish in Carlisle. Along the way, the riders will face the categorized climb of Côte de Melrose (2.2 km at 6.7%), but the finale is flat. A bunch sprint seems the most likely scenario.

On day two, the men will race exclusively on English soil. The stage goes from Keswick to Liverpool. Again, a bunch sprint is possible, but the sprinters will have a tough time surviving. There are five categorized climbs on the route. From the top of the last climb, the Côte de Parbold (1.8 km at 5.6%), it is still forty kilometers to the finish line.

Stage three takes place in Wales. Starting from Welshpool, the riders will cover 223 kilometers to the capital, Cardiff. This is by far the toughest stage of the British trio. In total, the riders will face eight official climbs, six of which are in the last eighty kilometers. Moreover, some extremely steep, punchy climbs are included. A day for the puncheurs!

Tour de France Femmes
As was already known, the Tour de France Femmes starts on Friday, July 30th, in Leeds. The first stage finishes in Manchester, where the second stage will also start. This second stage takes the riders to Sheffield on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, there will be a stage starting and finishing in the English capital, London.

It is not yet clear exactly what the routes will look like: the stage profiles have not been revealed yet. However, it is clear that the opening stages will all take place entirely in England. Scotland and Wales will not be visited, as is the case for the men's Tour.