Edinburgh to host start of 2027 Tour de France: Tour director “optimistic” about free-to-air TV coverage of UK Grand Départ

The Tour de France is set to return to the UK in 2027, after it was confirmed on Wednesday that the opening stages of both the men’s and women’s editions of cycling’s biggest race will be held in Britain in a historic first for the sport.

20 years on from the UK’s first Tour de France Grand Départ in London in 2007, and 13 years after Yorkshire hosted the event, the opening stage of the 2027 men’s race will take place in Edinburgh, as part of what the organising team has described as the “grandest of Grands Départs” and the largest free sporting event in British history.

It was also confirmed today that the Grand Départ will visit England and Wales, as well as Scotland, with three stages apiece for the men’s and women’s Tours, the first time in their history that the two races will start in the same country, excluding France itself, and the first time the Tour Femmes will visit the UK.

Full details of the routes for both races are not yet known, but the other host cities will be announced in the autumn, organisers say, with plans currently remaining in a “gestation” period.

And in more welcome news for British cycling fans, who have been hit in recent times by the impending loss of ITV’s free-to-air Tour de France coverage and cycling’s move to the more expensive TNT Sports from Eurosport, the Tour’s general director Christian Prudhomme says he is optimistic a deal can be secured to ensure that the races’ UK-based opening stages will be available free-to-air.

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Speaking at a press conference on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile on Wednesday, which was followed by an official unveiling at Edinburgh Castle, attended by Sir Mark Cavendish, Paul Bish, the chair of the team behind the Scottish capital’s bid, said the Tour’s upcoming visit to Auld Reekie was a “long time” in the making.

Tour de France 2014, Leeds Grand Depart (credit: Dean Atkins/SWpix.com)

“It has been about building confidence and a relationship,” Bish said. “Probably the most important thing is that Christian has challenged all of us, and this has been a team effort – it’s not one single person.

“He challenges us to dream and think big. And in bringing the men’s and women’s races on to the same platform, it’s providing them the same backdrop and opportunities.

“And that whole debate around gender equity is critical – so it’s been a long journey, but it’s been a really positive constructive journey.

“And I think that in 2027 we can build on the lessons of 2007 and 2014, and hopefully have the grandest of Grands Départs.”

Fans at the team presentations, 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships, Men's Elite Road Race, Edinburgh to Glasgow, Scotland (credit: Pauline Ballet/SWpix.com)

The start in Edinburgh will come four years after Scotland hosted the UCI’s inaugural combined world cycling championships in 2023, which brought together almost all of cycling’s different disciplines as part of one event for the first time, with the elite men’s road race starting in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, before heading to Glasgow for a series of circuits in the city centre.

Following Scotland’s successful hosting of the in 2023 worlds, Scottish Cycling’s executive Nick Rennie announced that he was hopeful that the Tour de France would come to Scotland in the near future.

Beyond the Edinburgh Grand Départ, little is known about the stages themselves, though it was confirmed today that stages will be held in Scotland, England, and Wales – with three apiece for the men’s and women’s races – as part of a bid to “touch as much of the population” as possible.

However, the organising team pointed out that nothing has yet been finalised, with a full route announcement for the British stages expected in the autumn (though Leeds has been rumoured to be the frontrunner to host the opening stage of the Tour Femmes, which is expected to take place on the weekend the men’s race ends in Paris, and three weeks after the Edinburgh Grand Départ).

Welcoming the Tour to Wales, the country’s First Minister Eluned Morgan said in a statement: “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 will build on our successful track record of hosting road cycling events, ensuring the Tour de France has a positive and lasting impact on cycling in Wales, by showcasing Wales as a top international destination for cyclists and encouraging more people in Wales to get into cycling.”

“It is a tremendous honour to welcome the Tour de France to Scotland,” added Scottish First Minister John Swinney.

“We know it is one of the most iconic and inspiring contests in sport, and that Scotland provides the perfect stage for major events. 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.”

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As part of the Tour coming to Britain, it was also announced that a “landmark” social impact programme will be delivered to provide “long-lasting benefits for thousands of people across the country by tackling inactivity, improving mental wellbeing, boosting economic growth, and supporting communities to thrive”.

But, with television coverage of the Tour set to disappear from ITV4 after this July, and cycling currently behind a £30.99-a-month paywall on TNT Sports, how will the race reach people in the UK beyond those on the side of the road?

When asked about the prospect of the Tour’s opening stages not being shown on free-to-air television, Prudhomme said: “There will be discussions of course. But I do hope and I do believe the stages will be live and free to air in 2027 for the stages in the UK. There will be discussions. We’re optimistic.”

The 2027 Tour will mark the fifth time cycling’s biggest race has ventured onto British soil, and the third time it has hosted the opening Grand Départ stages, after spectacular starts in London in 2007 and Yorkshire in 2014.

“The return of the Tour de France Grand Départ to Britain is an exciting moment for cycling in the UK,” British Cycling’s CEO Jon Dutton said.

“Hosting both the men’s and women’s races together will be a first, and we believe it has the potential to inspire more people to discover the joy and benefits of cycling. 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.”