The 114th Tour de France will start on July 2, 2027, in Edinburgh, featuring a 3,479-kilometer route across Scotland, England, and Wales before heading to France for three summit finishes and two long individual time trials, according to the official presentation at the Palais des Congrès in Paris.
Edinburgh Grand Départ and Opening British Stages
The race opens on a Friday in Edinburgh, marking the fifth foreign start for the Tour in six years. Riders will complete one stage in Scotland, one in England, and one in Wales before utilizing the first of three scheduled rest days for the transfer back to mainland Europe. The opening phase mirrors elements of the women’s route, as the Tour de France Femmes will also open in the United Kingdom with three stages starting in Leeds and concluding with a team time trial in London on July 30.
Mountains, Time Trials, and the Route Through France
Organizers have mapped out 53,400 vertical meters across the 21 stages, a layout that five-time champion Tadej Pogačar might have preferred even more demanding. Pogačar will likely have to wait until the ninth stage for the first summit finish at the Grand Colombier to secure the yellow jersey. Additional mountain showdowns are set for Les Saisies and the Col du Pyrenees on the Col du Portet, with stage 18 serving as the queen stage featuring 5,400 vertical meters and an ascent of the Tourmalet. The race also includes a mountain test to Sallanches, which hosts the world championship road race next year, and a technical stage in the Massif Central heading to Mende. Two individual time trials totaling 71 kilometers structure the fight for the general classification.
🚵 Edinburgh will host the most northerly Tour de France start in 2027 while the Pyrenees will provide the competitive finale of next year's route, which was announced in Paris on Thursday. ➡️ https://t.co/Nbf66BDhS8 pic.twitter.com/Z9E4nIektd
Team Dynamics and Roster Uncertainty for German Contenders
The route heavily favors time-trial specialists like world champion Remco Evenepoel, who is expected to claim leadership duties for Red Bull following his runner-up finish this past season. Team manager Ralph Denk has left open whether German rider Florian Lipowitz—who placed third in the 2025 Tour—will take the start line in Edinburgh, noting that the Giro d’Italia remains a potential alternative for Lipowitz depending on team allocation.
Paris Finale and the Puy de Dôme Conclusion
The men’s race concludes on July 25 in Paris with a repeat of the Montmartre spectacle seen over the past two years. Navigating the hill three times during the closing circuit makes a traditional bunch sprint on the Champs-Élysées unlikely, echoing the tactics that saw classics specialist Mathieu van der Poel win out of a breakaway alongside Pogačar previously. Meanwhile, the women’s Tour de France concludes on August 8 with a brutal summit finish on the Puy de Dôme volcano in the Massif Central, a stage expected to test German rider Antonia Niedermaier following her fourth-place finish last year.
More on Edinburgh
From Edinburgh to Paris 🇬🇧🇫🇷 The route for the 2027 Tour de France has been revealed! pic.twitter.com/dU3sxuWe5N
Full course announced for 2027 edition, from Edinburgh to Paris via the Alps, Pyrenees and Massif Central https://t.co/p2kSY73zt1
