The 2027 Tour de France will feature 71 kilometers of individual time trials spread across two stages, marking the longest distance against the clock for the race since 2012, according to the official route presentation in Paris. Organizers designed a 3,479-kilometer course starting on July 2 in Edinburgh and concluding on July 25 on the Champs-Élysées, incorporating 53,450 meters of total elevation gain across 21 stages.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme stated during the route unveiling that organizers do not design routes for specific riders, though the heavy emphasis on time-trialling distinctly favors specialists like Remco Evenepoel. The layout is expected to test Tadej Pogačar as he pursues a sixth Tour victory, moving past Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Induráin.
Race Opens in Edinburgh Before Crossing into France
The race opens on July 2 with a stage from Edinburgh to Carlisle, featuring a slight uphill finish tailored for sprinters. The following two stages traverse the Lake District and Wales, bringing crosswinds and narrow roads that organizers anticipate will test the peloton early. After a transfer day on July 5, the race crosses into France, moving through Normandy and Brittany before reaching the first major time trial.
Prudhomme noted that the opening week is structured to prevent the general classification from being decided too early, keeping the first high-mountain stage in reserve until the ninth day of racing.
Two Time Trials Shift the General Classification Battle
The return of extended time-trialling stands out as the race’s defining structural shift. The first test arrives on July 9 during Stage 7, covering 38 completely flat kilometers through the Loire Valley between Blois and the Château de Chambord. The second individual time trial takes place on July 20 at the start of the final week, spanning 33 flat kilometers in Toulouse that finish with an 800-meter climb averaging a 12% gradient up the Côte de Pech David.
These two flat-to-rolling efforts provide a combined 71 kilometers against the clock, giving specialists an opportunity to establish time advantages ahead of the brutal mountain tests in the Alps and Pyrenees.
High Mountains Lead to the Pyrenean Climax
High mountains enter the itinerary on Stage 9 with an ascent of the long, winding Grand Colombier in the Jura mountains, featuring 17.4 kilometers at 7.1%. The second week steers the race through the Alps, including a demanding stage to Sallanches replicating the 1980 World Championship course over the Côte de Domancy, followed by a stage to Les Saisies incorporating the Col du Pré and Montée de Bisanne.
The race then dips into the Massif Central via Mende, before heading to the Pyrenees for the decisive third week. Stage 18 runs 174 kilometers from Pau to the Col du Portet, packing 5,400 meters of climbing over the Col du Soulor, the Tourmalet, and the Hourquette d’Ancizan before the final 16-kilometer ascent averaging 8.7% to the 2,215-meter summit. The following day tackles the French Basque Country, traversing the Burdincurutcheta, Chalets d’Iraty, Soudet, and the Marie-Blanque before descending to Laruns.
Tour de France Femmes Route Unveiled
Alongside the men’s presentation, organizers revealed the route for the Tour de France Femmes, which follows five editions. The women’s race starts on July 30 in Leeds, Great Britain, before crossing into France and concluding after nine stages atop the legendary Puy de Dôme, with an intermediate summit finish on Stage 7 at La Loge des Gardes.
