The Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will each happen within the UK in 2027, creating historical past as the primary males’s and girls’s Grand Départs to happen in the identical nation outdoors of France.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has by no means been staged within the UK earlier than however will go by England, Scotland and Wales within the 2027 occasion.
The lads’s race will get beneath manner in Edinburgh because it returns to Britain for the primary time since three levels had been held throughout Yorkshire and London in 2014. The UK first performed host to the occasion in 2007.
Tour de France Common Director Christian Prudhomme mentioned: “The Tour de France and the UK share a rich history, and I am delighted to bring the Grand Départ to the country in 2027.
“Britain has all the time welcomed the Tour with enthusiasm and satisfaction, and this collaboration throughout England, Scotland, and Wales guarantees to make the occasion much more particular.”
The primary version of the Tour de France Femmes befell in 2022 when Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands was victorious. The feminine model of the boys’s blue riband occasion in biking had beforehand been identified by varied names between 1984 and 2009 earlier than changing into the La Course by Le Tour de France between 2014 and 2021.
First Minister of Scotland John Swinney, mentioned: “It’s a great honour to welcome the Tour de France to Scotland. We all know it is among the most iconic and galvanizing contests in sport, and that Scotland offers the right stage for main occasions.
“Hosting the Tour promises to be a unique opportunity to showcase our country to its many fans around the world as part of a timeline of incredible sporting events in Scotland from 2026 to 2028.”
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of UAE Workforce Emirates clinched his third Tour de France crown final 12 months, whereas Poland’s Kasia Niewiadoma of the Canyon-SRAM staff is the reigning Tour de France Femmes champion.
First Minister of Wales Eluned Morgan added: “The Welsh stage of the 2027 UK Grand Départ promises to be a memorable experience for competitors and fans alike. Boasting stunning landscapes, warm and welcoming communities and an ever-growing fanbase of cycling enthusiasts, Wales will provide the ultimate challenge and a unique Welsh ‘Croeso’ for the world’s biggest cycle race.
“We’ll construct on our profitable monitor file of internet hosting highway biking occasions, making certain the Tour de France has a optimistic and lasting impression on biking in Wales, by showcasing Wales as a high worldwide vacation spot for cyclists and inspiring extra individuals in Wales to get into biking.”
‘Dual Grand Départs to create lasting legacy’
“The chance to host the Grand Départs of each the boys’s and girls’s Tour de France will cement Britain’s fame as a vacation spot for main worldwide sporting occasions,” said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. “This can stimulate progress, appeal to new guests and depart a long-lasting legacy for athletes and followers alike.
“Staging the Tour de France Femmes in Britain for the first time will also be an historic occasion and inspire the next generation of female cyclists while supporting our mission of breaking down barriers for women and girls to get more involved in sport.”
The UK’s largest free spectator occasion in historical past
Director of Occasions at UK Sport Simon Morton added: “We set out to host the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes because we believe that live sport is a fundamental part of our country’s social fabric, and that we should be hosting events that are accessible to people and communities across the country.
“This would be the largest free spectator occasion ever hosted within the UK, providing the general public front-row entry to world-class sport throughout villages, cities and cities. We will not wait to share extra particulars later within the 12 months about this really outstanding route.”
‘Not just about the race’
“The return of the Tour de France Grand Départ to Britain is an thrilling second for biking within the UK,” said CEO of British Cycling Jon Dutton OBE. “Internet hosting each the boys’s and girls’s races collectively might be a primary, and we imagine it has the potential to encourage extra individuals to find the enjoyment and advantages of biking.
“This is not just about the race – it’s about creating a national moment that encourages healthier lifestyles, supports cycle tourism, and brings communities together.”