Edinburgh hosts the most northerly start in the history of the Tour de France on July 2, 2027, launching a three-week men’s route through three nations before concluding in Paris on July 25, 2027. Race organisers ASO unveiled the full 3,479-kilometre course in Paris, featuring heavy time-trial mileage and punishing climbs in the Pyrenees.
Edinburgh Starts British Grand Depart
The 114th edition of the men’s race breaks new ground as Edinburgh hosts the most northerly start in the race’s history on July 2, 2027, surpassing the 2022 Copenhagen Grand Depart. The opening stage sends the peloton 184 kilometres south across the border to Carlisle, passing through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders. Melrose will feature the stage’s only official categorised climb. Newcastleton hosts the intermediate sprint. Stephen Flynn noted that having the eyes of the world on Scotland will deliver a major boost to the tourism sector. Local civic leaders highlighted the historic nature of the event.
Etape 1 / Stage 1 – #TDF2027 🚩 Edimbourg – Carlisle 🏁 185 km 💛 Just like in 2020 and 2025, it’s likely to be a sprinter who’ll be the first to wear the Yellow Jersey! 💛 Comme en 2020 et 2025, c'est un sprinteur qui devrait endosser le premier Maillot Jaune ! pic.twitter.com/1E5XsKT9TQ
Across Scotland and England, leaders praised the route. Midlothian council provost Debbi McCall called it a once-in-a-generation moment. Scottish Borders Council leader Euan Jardine described it as a real honour to host the majority of the opening stage.
From Scotland, the route winds through England and Wales across six British-based stages for both the men’s and women’s events. Stage two covers 223 kilometres from Keswick to Liverpool, taking in Lancashire’s Trough of Bowland before a finish with 2,800 metres of ascending. Stage three tackles a trek through the heart of Wales. Tour director Christian Prudhomme likened the Welsh terrain to the spring classics, telling reporters that Wales is Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
💛 Those most affected have front-row seats! 💛 Les premiers concernés aux premières loges ! #TDF2027 | #TDFF2027 pic.twitter.com/1k8D4LzJSn
Time Trials Shape Yellow Jersey Battle
With 71 kilometres of individual time trials spread across two tests, the 2027 route offers a platform for specialists against the clock before the race hits the high mountains. A second time trial of 33 kilometres is centred on Toulouse on stage 16, following a traditional Grand Tour structure. These long efforts provide a platform to gain time before the race hits the high mountains.
Despite the layout offering advantages to riders like Remco Evenepoel, race officials emphasise that the route is not engineered to curb Tadej Pogačar’s dominance. Prudhomme pointed out that Pogačar excels across all terrains, stating that you put cobblestones in and he’s up there. EF Pro Cycling founder and CEO Jonathan Vaughters characterised the layout as a throwback Tour featuring big long flat time trials and quite a few stages for sprinters.
Pyrenean Climbs and Volcanic Finales
The high mountains are concentrated in the final week through the Pyrenees, accumulating a total elevation gain of 53,450 metres across 21 stages. Stage 18 serves as the queen stage. It covers 174 kilometres with 5,400 metres of vertical gain over the Soulor, the Col du Tourmalet where the race climbs beyond 2,000 metres for the first time, the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and finally finishes atop the Col du Portet.
Prudhomme highlighted the pairing of the two major climbs. He noted that it’s the first time that we will link the Tourmalet and the Portet. Stage 19 takes riders 160 kilometres from Hasparren to Laruns via four major ascents and nearly 4,500 metres of climbing.
Onto more iconic battles! 🤩The route for @LeTour 2027 is now known 💛Which stage are you looking forward to the most? 👀📸 @GettySport & A.S.O. | #TDF2027 pic.twitter.com/S6geEMttYZ
Meanwhile, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift runs from July 30 to August 7, 2027, covering 1,156 kilometres across nine stages. After starting in Leeds with an opening stage towards Manchester, the women’s event features an 18-kilometre team time trial through central London past landmarks including Buckingham Palace, finishing on The Mall. The race concludes with a 170-kilometre stage featuring approximately 3,840 metres of elevation gain leading to the summit of the extinct volcano Puy-de-Dôme in the Auvergne region.
If you want to discover other climbs, you have to accept that we don’t systematically use the best-known ones.
Christian Prudhomme, Tour director
After crossing back from the British Isles, the men’s race handles early tests before heading toward the Massif Central and the Alps, featuring summit finishes at the Grand Colombier and Les Saisies on Bastille Day. The men’s race wraps up on July 25, 2027. Curiously, the 20th and penultimate stage is designed predominantly flat for the sprinters, leaving the overall contenders to settle their scores in the mountains two days before the traditional final celebration on the cobbled streets of Montmartre in Paris on July 25, 2027.
From Great Britain to Paris. The 2027 Tour de France 𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐄 is here! 🗺️Head of Racing Marc Reef takes us through what’s in store. 🐝🗯️https://t.co/1kF6iJOAhc pic.twitter.com/rR4uctr9M7