Edinburgh Awaits: Full routes revealed for 2027 Tour de France

The Tour de France have today revealed their full 2027 route, which will begin in Scotland for the first-time, as Edinburgh hosts the start of the race on Friday 2 July.

This marks the next step towards the historic 2027 Grands Départs, as Britain becomes the first country outside of France to host the start of the Tour de France and Tour de France
Femmes avec Zwift in the same year, as the races start in Edinburgh and Leeds respectively.

Additionally, the location of the sprints on the five British road stages were also confirmed today, with Newcastleton (Scottish Borders) hosting the intermediate sprint on stage one. A
detailed interactive map of the opening stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle, showing the location of the sprint and the sole official categorised climb of the leg at Melrose.

All six stages of the two Grands Départs will be broadcast live on free-to-air television UK on Five, alongside live coverage on TNT Sports, who will broadcast the entirety of the 2027
races.

On the unveiling of the full routes at the ceremony at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, Tour director Christian Prudhomme said:

“Just a few weeks apart, the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will each take their respective pelotons on a journey through the roads of the United Kingdom. Along with what we anticipate will be a warm and massive welcome for the champions, Great Britain also offers us a symbol that further ties the two races together. From the start on 2 July at the foot of Edinburgh Castle, which will be the northernmost in the history of the Tour, to a team time trial in London on 1 August, which will undoubtedly bring to mind the one where the champions battled it out twenty years earlier, nearly 900 kilometers will be covered. Needless to say, there will be thousands of thrills and emotions.”

While Chief Executive of Scottish Cycling, Nick Rennie added:

“Today’s full route announcement only adds further excitement to the prospect of the Tour de France Grand Départ starting in Scotland next summer. With 253 days until that momentous occasion, Scottish Cycling is working with a range of partners to ensure we make the most of what is arguably the most significant moment in cycling history in Scotland. Our job is to encourage as many people and communities to get involved in the race as possible, whether that’s lining the streets, getting on a bike for the first time, or being inspired to strive to be the next Oscar Onley.”

Tickets for the 2027 Tour de France opening ceremony at Edinburgh Castle, including the highly anticipated presentation of the riders, will go on sale to this weekend with Scottish Cycling members having access to a pre-sale window from midday on Saturday 24 October.

The opening ceremony takes place from 18:30 on Wednesday 30 June, giving fans the chance to be part of history as the world’s best cyclists are presented ahead of the 114th men’s Tour de France departing from Edinburgh on Friday 2 July.

Next summer marks the first time the men’s and women’s races will take place in the same country outside of France, with millions expected to take to the streets for the world’s biggest free-to-watch sporting event.

Against the iconic backdrop of Edinburgh Castle, the opening ceremony will combine elite sport with an unmistakable Scottish welcome from The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, producers of one of the world’s greatest immersive events. Featuring Highland dancers, massed pipes and drums, and new music created specially for the occasion, the ceremony will celebrate Scotland’s culture and creativity while marking the start of an historic Grand Départ.

The full route of the next summer’s Tour de France will see the race traverse through Great Britain before entering France at Cherbourg. The Tour will see two individual time trials, six mountain stages through first the Alps and then the Pyrenees.