The Tour de France will return to British roads in 2027 with a landmark double Grand Départ that will unite Scotland, England and Wales in the most ambitious cycling festival ever staged in the UK. For the first time in history, both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will start in the same country outside France, underlining Britain’s growing significance within world cycling.

The men’s race will begin on Friday 2 July 2027 in Edinburgh, marking the first Scottish Grand Départ in Tour history. Stage one will cover 184 km, travelling through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders before finishing in Carlisle, beside the city’s medieval castle. The opening day features a single classified climb at the Côte de Melrose, set against the Eildon Hills.

Stage two, on Saturday 3 July, will deliver one of the longest and most picturesque days of racing. The peloton will tackle 223 km from Keswick to Liverpool, riding through the Lake District alongside Thirlmere, Grasmere, Rydal Water and Windermere, before following the Morecambe Bay coastline. After a series of climbs on the edge of the Pennines, the stage will conclude on The Strand in Liverpool, framed by the city’s historic waterfront.

The final men’s stage on British soil will take place on Sunday 4 July, covering 223 km from Welshpool to Cardiff, matching the distance of stage two. This demanding Welsh route includes 8 categorised climbs, with 6 concentrated in the final 80 kilometres through the south Wales valleys. Climbs such as the Côte de Rhigos and the Côte de Caerffili are expected to shape the outcome before the final yellow jersey to be presented on British shores is awarded in Cardiff.

Four weeks later, the focus will shift to the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, which will also make history in 2027. It will be the first time the Tour de France Femmes, launched in 2022, has ever started outside mainland Europe. The women’s race begins on Friday 30 July in Leeds, with stage one finishing in Manchester. Stage two will start in Manchester and head through the Peak District to Sheffield, featuring some of the most recognisable climbs in the region. The women’s Grand Départ will conclude with a high-profile stage in London on 1 August, although full route details for the capital will be announced in the spring.

Tour de France general director Christian Prudhomme described the return to Yorkshire as deeply emotional, recalling the scenes of the 2014 Grand Départ. He spoke of arriving on The Headrow in Leeds on 5 July 2014, several hours before the start, and being overwhelmed by the sound and scale of the crowds that filled the city over two unforgettable days.

The scale of the event extends far beyond sport. Hosting the two Grand Départs is forecast to generate £150 million in economic benefit, supported by £32 million in government funding. Organisers estimate that the routes will pass within one hour’s drive of 60% of the UK population, reinforcing the Tour’s status as the most accessible major sporting spectacle ever staged in Britain.

British Cycling is preparing a nationwide mobilisation, with plans to recruit 7,000 volunteers to support race operations, spectator safety and community engagement. The ambition is to deliver not only world-class racing, but also a long-term legacy that inspires participation and strengthens cycling culture across Great Britain.

With dramatic landscapes, historic cities and unprecedented public access, the Tour de France 2027 UK Grand Départs promise to become a defining moment in British sporting history and a milestone for both the men’s and women’s Tours.