The 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will include the first team time trial in the race's history, with seven-rider squads racing an approximately 18-kilometre circuit through central London finishing on The Mall on Sunday 1 August. Organisers confirmed the format and full routes for the opening two road stages at a press event in London on Monday 20 April.
The three British stages run from Friday 30 July to Sunday 1 August, starting with a 85.7km opener from Leeds to Manchester, followed by a 154.4km hilly stage from Manchester to Sheffield, before the London team time trial closes the Grand Départ weekend. It will be the first time both the men's and women's Tours have started in the same country outside France.
Race Stages
3 Stages • 258.1km total
| Stage | Date | Route | Distance | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jul 30 | Leeds to Manchester | 85.7 km | Hilly |
| 2 | Jul 31 | Manchester to Sheffield | 154.4 km | Mountain |
| 3 | Aug 1 | London | 18 km | Team Time Trial |
"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," race director Marion Rousse said. "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."
The announcement was made at Canada Gate on The Mall, where Rousse was joined by Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) and Flora Perkins (Fenix – Premier Tech). The exact London route has not been published – organisers said the full circuit will be revealed later this year as part of the official 2027 race presentation in Paris. The stage will pass landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye and Tower Bridge.
The London setting marks a deliberate echo of 2007, when the men's Tour de France debuted in the English capital with an individual time trial won by Fabian Cancellara. Twenty years on, a team time trial adds a different tactical dimension: it rewards squad depth, collective pacing and cohesion rather than individual effort, meaning early time gaps in the general classification are possible before the race even reaches France. Of course, London was the host of the finish of stage 3 of the 2014 men's Tour as well, won by Marcel Kittel in a sprint finish.
What the route sets up
The opening stage is a surprisingly short one, beginning on the Headrow in the centre of Leeds, the same starting place for the Tour de France in 2014 as well as the start of the men's road race in the 2019 World Championships.
It then leaves Leeds and heads into the council borough of Kirklees, riding through Heckmondwike and Mirfield before taking on the first climb of the day up Kirkheaton or, as the race call it, Côte de Kirkheaton, which is 1.7km at 7.5% as they head into Huddersfield. From there the riders start to head into the vast emptiness of the moors that split West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester with a brief flit into the Peak District National Park for Côte de Meltham (3.2km at 8.2%) before they descent down into Oldham.
After that they go into the Delph to climb the final climb of the day, the Côte de Delph (2.1km at 6.3%), which has featured in recent Tour of Britain. That tops out with about 20km to go to the line in Manchester, but they have to go through Rochdale first before they head into the centre of the city and finish on Deansgate, which has been used a couple of times by the men's Tour of Britain with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Olav Kooij (Decathlon-CMA CGM) winning there previously. It is likely to be another bunch sprint finish for the women's race as well.
The 2014 Grand Depart in Yorkshire was an exceptional success for British cycling - image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Into the next day and stage 2 comes with a far greater challenge. The riders take on a significantly longer stage of 154.4km from Manchester to the steel city of Sheffield with almost 3,000 metres of elevation through Derbyshire and South Yorkshire with the majority of the day taking place in the Peak District. After the riders leave Manchester they head through Stockport, Marple and New Mills to then head up Long Hill, which is not categorised, towards Buxton.
After leaving the famous spa town they reach the first climb of the day, the Côte de Carlton (1.6km at 6.3%). From here on in it is up and down almost all day. The next climb comes about 20km after Carlton with the brutal and infamous Winnats Pass. It is just 1.4km of riding but the average is 12.3% with a max of over 20%, this is famous for it's difficulty.
They then take on the undulating descent down to Chapel-en-le-Frith to then head to the Côte de Chunal (1.4km at 7.1%) which is quickly followed by another legendary Derbyshire climb, Snake Pass. The 5.4km climb is easily the longest climb in the Grand Départ with a steady average gradient of 4.6%. The road has had several years of difficulties with landslides and road closures, let's hope the Tour visiting sorts that.
After that it is a long descent before returning to Yorkshire, this time South Yorkshire and the council area of Sheffield. The climbing isn't done with this Ardennes Classic style stage heading onto the Côte de Bradfield (High Bradfield to everyone else) at 1km with an average gradient of 8.8%, this should kick off the finale proper. After that its off the the Côte de Oughtibridge (1.5km at 9.1%) and the dive into the city itself.
A couple of little bumps along Halifax Road and through Wadsley Bridge takes the riders to the final climb of the day, Côte de Jenkin Road. The 800 metre climb has solidified itself in cycling history when Vincenzo Nibali went clear on the ascent that averages 10.8% to take the stage and yellow. He would go on to win the whole race. They will be using the same finish as that day, but from the opposite direction.
"Having the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift so close to home feels like a full circle moment for me," Ferguson said. "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."
Perkins, who grew up in London, said racing the team time trial in the capital would feel "surreal." She added: "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."
Organisers have described the three-day Grand Départ as the most attended women's sporting event ever staged in Britain. The men's Tour de France Grand Départ takes place earlier in July 2027, running from Edinburgh to Carlisle, Keswick to Liverpool, and Welshpool to Cardiff.
The remaining stages of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, covering the French portion of the race, will be announced alongside the London route at the official presentation in Paris later this year.
Cover image credit: Charlie Forgham-Bailey/SWpix.com
