Tour de France men’s race to begin in Edinburgh in 2027
The women’s race will also start in the UK
Three stages of the men’s event will traverse Great Britain
Sergii Rudiuk / Shutterstock
The 2027 men’s Tour de France will begin in the Scottish city of Edinburgh, race organisers confirmed yesterday evening (March 19).
Starting in July, the first three stages of the race will traverse Scotland then England and Wales before moving on to France.
The full list of stages is yet to be announced, but this British portion is set to include Glasgow, the Lake District, and the end of a stage in Cardiff before equipment and cyclists are shipped to France.
It is the first time the world’s most famous cycling event has started in Scotland, but the third time it has begun in the UK, following opening stages in London in 2007 and Leeds in 2014.
Several past iterations of the Tour de France have begun with an international ‘Grand Départ’, and the 2026 version will likewise start outside of France’s borders, in the Catalan city of Barcelona.
This year’s race will begin in Lille.
Read more: Tour de France 2025 route revealed: will it pass near you?
The 2027 women’s version of the race will also begin in the UK, although the starting point – and the number of stages held in the country – are yet to be officially announced, although British media is reporting it will kick off in Yorkshire and likewise see three UK stages.
UK crowds ‘border on madness’
“What we remember [of opening stages in the UK] is the passion and enthusiasm, which bordered on madness. The crowds were spectacular,” said the Tour’s organiser Christian Prudhomme in a TV interview announcing the Scottish city start for 2027.
“In London, it's one of the rare times I've seen riders stand up and applaud the public,” he added.
British cyclist Mark Cavendish, who featured in the 2007 race, said his main memories of that year’s Tour were “not being able to stop to pee, because there were so many people at the roadside,” cheering on cyclists in an interview with UK media The Guardian.
A start in Scotland was among the list of candidates for the 2014 version of the race, although finally a Yorkshire departure was chosen.
Despite Edinburgh being a ‘magical city’ for the organisers – “one of the most beautiful in Europe,” according to Mr Prudhomme – its remoteness has previously hindered its chances of hosting the race.
Current regulations however mean that once every four years the Tour de France has to begin on a Friday, which allows organisers to choose a location further afield.
A previous Friday start in 2022 saw the competition launch from Copenhagen (Denmark).
Last year’s race was unique in that for the first time, it ended not on the Champs-Elysées but in the city of Nice, as Paris was preparing to host the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Read more: Olympic ‘horse’ Zeus to begin a tour of France - here is where it will go
