2027 Tour de France men's and women's routes: UK Grand Départ, some iconic climbs, and much more...

The 2026 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes have now come to an end. While we’re still savoring the victories of Tadej Pogacar and Demi Vollering, IDL Pro Cycling is already looking ahead to the 2027 editions. Here’s what we know so far about the 2027 routes for the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes.

The men’s Tour de France is set to begin on July 2, 2027, and it has been known for some time that it will start in Edinburgh, Scotland. There will be no time trial or team time trial, but rather a standard stage heading toward Carlisle, across the English border. The riders will face 184 kilometers and 2,000 meters of elevation gain, but we can still expect a sprint finish.

The same applies to the second stage. It begins in Keswick, south of Carlisle, the finish line for Stage 1. From beautiful Cumberland, the peloton will ride through the famous Lake District, with stunning views. It will also be quite hilly: there are five categorized climbs on the route, mostly in the middle section.

The final "climb" is 40 kilometers from the finish line: by then, the riders will have already covered well over 180 kilometers. So it’s a long stage—a full 223 kilometers. Along the way, the riders will climb 2,800 meters, but the final stretch is relatively flat, so it looks like the sprinters will “just” be in the driver’s seat again. Or do the attackers still have a chance? If so, they’ll have to make their move before the finish in Liverpool.

In the third stage, the fast riders will have a much harder time. The start is in Welshpool, and that says it all: we’re in Wales, the home of Geraint Thomas. Once again, a 223-kilometer stage is on the schedule, but this one is a lot tougher than the one to Liverpool. The start is still easy, but after 80 kilometers, the hills loom ahead. And they’re no walk in the park.

The course features no fewer than eight climbs, six of which are in the final 80 kilometers. It’s a sort of “wall-climbing” stage, with gradients that regularly reach double digits. The finish is in Cardiff, Wales. A great way to wrap up three days in the United Kingdom!

Next up is the first rest day and, consequently, the crossing to France. According to Ouest France, it’s likely that Stage 4 will start in Cherbourg, located on the Cotentin Peninsula. The finish could be on the Côte de la Glacerie, where Peter Sagan won a stage in 2016 ahead of Julian Alaphilippe and Alejandro Valverde. Stage five would also start in Cherbourg.

Of course, what the riders will encounter for the remainder of the stage has yet to be decided. Given that the “Super World Championships” in cycling will be held in the Haute-Savoie region in late August/early September 2027, there’s a chance we’ll get a dress rehearsal for that event in the area around Sallanches and the grueling Côte de Domancy.

According to Le Dauphine, the Col du Granon, where Jonas Vingegaard defeated Tadej Pogacar in 2022, is also said to have been proposed as a finish location. The Col de la Loze is reportedly another option. The ski resorts of Samiens 1600, where Primoz Roglic won a Dauphiné stage in 2024, and Sestrieres, with the possibility of crossing the Colle delle Finestre, have also put themselves forward.

In addition, ski resorts such as Courchevel, Méribel, Tignes, La Plagne, and Les Belleville have also indicated that they would be interested in hosting a stage of the Tour de France.

Just like the men, the women will also start in the United Kingdom: the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift begins in Leeds. So, no Scotland, and no Wales either: the first stage goes from Leeds to Manchester, after which the next stage starts from Manchester and heads to Sheffield via a hilly course (where Vincenzo Nibali won the men’s race in 2014, ed.). The third and final stage on English soil will take place in London, where a team time trial will be held, finishing on The Mall.

Other than that, the main question seems to be how long the 2027 Tour de France Femmes will be. This year’s route consisted of 9 stages, but there have already been calls here and there to increase the number of stages. “We could make it tougher, and the riders could certainly handle it, but I’m not in favor of increasing the difficulty,” race director Marion Rousse told RMC in Nice .

"Sometimes, if you make the stages too difficult, the excitement fades because everyone is keeping an eye on each other. A stage like Saturday’s is a joy to watch; you throw in two climbs in the final stretch, and it’s fantastic. We don’t necessarily want to make it harder,” said Rousse, who did, however, already hint at the need to showcase the entire route.

In late October, the A.S.O. will announce the routes for the 2027 edition of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.