Stage towns revealed for 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ in Britain

ASO announced on Thursday that stage 1 of the 2027 Tour will be a road stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle, while Liverpool and Cardiff will also host stage finishes.

The Tour de France Femmes will begin with stage 1 from Leeds to Manchester, while stage 2 will bring the peloton to Sheffield. The final stage in Britain will take the riders from Sheffield to London.

The men's race starts in Edinburgh on 2 July, heading south to Carlisle. From there it's into the Lake District via Keswick, down to Liverpool. The third and final stage on British roads will be in Wales, from Welshpool to Cardiff.

It's a route that takes in castles, mountains, and Liverpool's world-famous docks. The Lake District could produce some exciting racing ahead of the run-in to Liverpool, while Cardiff gets the grand finale before the race heads back across the Channel.

"The UK has always welcomed the Tour with passion and pride, and the route details we are revealing today reflect the beauty and diversity of Britain's terrain," said Tour director Christian Prudhomme. "Bringing both Grand Départs here is a testament to the strength of our partnership with British Cycling and the enthusiasm of the UK."

The Tour de France Femmes starts in Leeds on July 30, thirteen years after the men's race turned Yorkshire into the centre of the cycling universe. From Leeds, the race crosses the Pennines to Manchester for the finale of stage 1

The second day sees the peloton climb through the Peak District from Manchester  to Sheffield. The final stage on British road is between Sheffield and London. The Peak District stage looks the most demanding of the three.

"The United Kingdom has played an important role in the history of women's cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Armitstead Deignan," said race director Marion Rousse. "Starting the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in Leeds is a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour."

This isn't Britain's first rodeo with the Tour. At Yorkshire's 2014 Grand Départ, an estimated five million spectators lined the roads across two stages, from Leeds to Harrogate and York to Sheffield. Marcel Kittel won the opening stage in a bunch sprint, but it was the crowds that stole the show. Every village was painted yellow, fans camped out overnight for prime viewing spots, and the Buttertubs Pass and Holme Moss climbs were packed ten deep.

Vincenzo Nibali went on to win that Tour, but Yorkshire won the weekend. The economic impact was estimated at in the triple-digit milions.

London's 2007 prologue had set a template. A 7.9km time trial through the capital saw Fabian Cancellara take yellow, with over half a million people watching. 

The Tour previously visited Britain, albeit not for the Grand Départ, in 1994 and 1974.