GRAND DÉPART
GRANDE-BRETAGNE 2027
PRESS RELEASE
LONDON TO HOST HISTORIC FIRST-EVER
TEAM TIME TRIAL IN TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES HISTORY
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London will host the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Team Time Trial with the world’s best riders racing against the clock past iconic landmarks
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Full routes also revealed for stages one and two of the 2027 Grand Départ as the race leaves host city, Leeds before heading through Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Derbyshire to Sheffield
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· The three days of racing of the 2027 Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is anticipated to be the most attended women’s sporting event ever staged in Britain
London will host a landmark moment in women’s cycling when the first-ever team time trial in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift takes place on the streets of the capital as part of the 2027 Grand Départ in Britain.
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The historic stage will see the world’s best riders racing together against the clock in their seven-rider teams via an iconic central London circuit of approximately 18-kilometres, culminating in a spectacular finish on The Mall, one of Britain’s most iconic sporting backdrops
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Over the course of three days, the 2027 Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is anticipated to be the most attended women’s sporting event ever staged in Britain, underlining the scale and significance of this historic moment for the sport.
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Details were officially announced as Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Race Director Marion Rousse joined British professional cyclists Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) and Flora Perkins (Fenix – Premier Tech) at Canada Gate, overlooking the stage three finish line on The Mall. They were joined by seven young girls, as a part of the girls participation programme element of JOY, the dedicated social impact programme for the Grand Départ, which aims to tackle inactivity and improve mental wellbeing, make Britain more productive and prosperous and support communities to thrive.
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The announcement comes alongside the unveiling of the full routes for the first two stages of the race, which will take the peloton from Leeds to Manchester and Manchester to Sheffield, delivering two challenging and visually spectacular days of racing across Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, and the Peak District in Derbyshire.
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The London team time trial will round off the women’s Grand Départ weekend, with teams racing through the heart of the capital before finishing on The Mall. The full route for the stage will be revealed later this year as part of the official launch of the 2027 race route in Paris.
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Marion Rousse, Race Director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, said:
“The Team Time Trial has always been one of the most exciting and spectacular formats in cycling, and we are very proud that the first one in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will take place in London.
"The United Kingdom has already shown its passion for the Tour, and these stages will once again showcase the energy of the crowds, the beauty of the landscapes and the growing importance of women’s cycling on the world stage.”
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I’m proud that London will host this historic moment for women’s cycling. Londoners and visitors will be lining the streets to cheer on the world’s best riders as they race through our capital, taking in some of our best-known landmarks before a triumphant finish on The Mall.
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“London is a cycling city, with 1.5 million bike trips a day last year and this global sporting event will inspire the next generation of women cyclists and help build a better London for everyone.”
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Cat Ferguson, Movistar Team rider, said:
“Having the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift so close to home feels like a full circle moment for me. I watched the men's race in 2014 from the side of my home roads as a young kid, and now I hope to have the opportunity next year to line up and race in the peloton. I truly appreciate how far women’s procycling has come.
“If I can inspire some women or young girls, even in a small way, to get out on their bikes, that would make me very happy. I know that UK fans will make this an unforgettable experience for all riders. Bring on the 2027 Grand Départ.”
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Flora Perkins, Fenix – Premier Tech rider added:
“I am genuinely so excited for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to come to London, where I grew up riding my bike. It’s going to be such a special moment. I can’t wait to showcase to the cycling world what London has to offer. I also know this is an opportunity to share my love of cycling and racing with the people of London.
“To race the team time trial along such iconic roads and compete at the pinnacle of the sport in front of family and friends will feel surreal. People don’t always realise that London is a great place to ride a bike, whether that’s the racing scene or just to avoid the tube crush. I really hope the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift gets people excited to ride their bikes and makes London even more of a bike city. I hope that girls in particular come out and see this race and realise that racing bikes is one of the best things ever, and they can do it too.”
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Paul Bush, Managing Director Grand Départ GB 2027, said:
“Revealing the first two stages today and confirming London as the host of the first ever team time trial in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift is another exciting milestone on the road to 2027. From the climbs of Yorkshire and the Peak District to the streets of London, these stages will deliver incredible racing and unforgettable moments for fans.”
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Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, British Cycling, said:
“This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s cycling in Great Britain. Through the JOY programme we want to ensure this moment inspires more girls and women to discover the joy of cycling and help communities across Britain get active.”
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The Route
Stage one: Leeds to Manchester (Friday 30 July)
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Starting from Headrow in central Leeds – just as the men’s peloton did in 2014, the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage to be held in Britain will pass through Headingley and the west of the city, crossing into Kirklees and passing through Heckmondwike and Mirfield, and tackling the Côte de Kirkheaton (1.7km at 7.5%), to reach Huddersfield.
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The 85.7-kilometre (53.2 miles) route then drops south to cross the Pennines, taking in the second Queen of the Mountains climb of Côte de Meltham (3.2km at 8.2%) in the north of the Peak District National Park before descending into Oldham alongside the Dove Stone Reservoir.
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Riders will then tackle the Côte de Delph (2.1km at 6.3%), which has featured in recent editions of both the men’s and women’s Tour of Britain, with just over 20 kilometres of racing remaining, as the route circles the north of Greater Manchester through Rochdale before entering Manchester city centre from the north. Passing Manchester Cathedral, the riders will line up for the stage finish on Deansgate.
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Stage two: Manchester to Sheffield (Saturday 31 July)
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Racing resumes a day later from Manchester for a spectacular stage through Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park to Sheffield. Heading out of the city via Stockport, Marple and New Mills, the climbing begins with the unclassified ascent of Long Hill approaching Buxton.
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Stage two will feature approaching 3,000 metres of climbing across its 154.4 kilometres (96 miles) with the peloton tackling some of the region’s most famous climbs including Winnats Pass (1.4km at 12.3%) and Snake Pass (5.4km at 4.6%).
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After passing through some of the Peak District’s most celebrated landscapes, the race enters Sheffield where riders will face a succession of short but punishing climbs including the Côte d’Oughtibridge (1.5km at 9.1%) and the famous Côte de Jenkin Road (0.8km at 10.8%), both used when the men’s Tour de France finished in the city in 2014.
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The stage will conclude with a finish on Attercliffe Common, using the same finish line where Vincenzo Nibali won in 2014, but approached from the opposite direction.
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Stage three: London Team Time Trial (Sunday 1 August)
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The third and final day of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départ will see riders tackling team time trial passing many of the capital’s popular landmarks, with thousands of fans expected to line the route close to prominent locations such as the Houses of Parliament, London Eye and Tower Bridge.
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The full route for the London stage will be revealed later this year as part of the official presentation of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift route in Paris, when race organisers ASO will announce the entire routes for both races, including the French stages that will complete each event.
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Together, the stages form the opening chapter of a historic moment for the sport. In 2027, both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin in the United Kingdom – the first time both Grand Départs have taken place in the same country outside France.
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To find out more and stay up to date with the 2027 Grand Départs, including more information opportunities to volunteer, ahead of the opening of volunteer registration at the end of May 2026, visit letourgb.com
Ends
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Contact details
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Peter Hodges, Communications Lead, Tour de France Grand Départ 2027
Emma Hope, Head of Communications, British Cycling    
emmahope@britishcycling.org.uk 
Rob Meaden, Associate Director, Spectacle Partners
rob@spectacle.partners
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Clara Locatelli, Press Relations Manager, A.S.O.