Tour de France Femmes 2027: Grand Depart in UK, Team Time Trial, and Puy de Dôme Finale

The sixth edition of the Tour de France Femmes will feature its first-ever team time trial during an opening Grand Départ in Great Britain, race organizers announced. Running from July 30 to August 7, the 2027 route introduces an 18-kilometer test through the streets of London alongside a grueling mountain finale at the Puy de Dôme, RFI reported.

Race director Marion Rousse unveiled the nine-stage itinerary, highlighting a demanding opening block across English roads before the peloton crosses into northern France toward Calais. The third stage in London will challenge teams with an 18-kilometer team time trial where times will be taken on the fourth rider across the line.

Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027 – Grand Départ Great Britain – discover the route

British Grand Départ Sets Early General Classification Hurdles

The opening phase kicks off with an 86-kilometer stage from Leeds to Manchester tailored for sprinters or puncheurs. Riders then tackle a 154-kilometer route into Sheffield on July 31 featuring nearly 3,000 meters of elevation gain, echoing the final stretch of the 2014 men’s Tour stage won by Italian rider Vincenzo Nibali.

Rousse described the British opening block as the hardest in the race’s history since its 2022 launch, noting that the opening three days will establish an immediate hierarchy in the general classification. The race then transitions to the European continent, heading from Le Touquet toward Calais to enter rolling terrain designed to provoke aggressive racing before a likely sprint stage to Bourges.

Countdown to the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes 2027 in Leeds

Massif Central Climbs Define the Route to the Puy de Dôme

The race hits its decisive phase in the Massif Central starting August 5 with a 155-kilometer stage from Nevers to La Loge des Gardes, featuring a 6.7-kilometer climb at a 7.1% gradient. The following day brings six mountain passes and 3,000 meters of vertical gain on the road to Clermont-Ferrand.

The Queen Stage on August 7 closes the race with 170 kilometers from Clermont-Ferrand to the Puy de Dôme, accumulating 3,840 meters of positive elevation across eight ascensions. The final climb stretches 11.3 kilometers at 7.8% average gradient, with the final four kilometers averaging over 12%, Sud Ouest reported.

Tour de France Femmes 2027: Grand Depart in UK, Team Time Trial, and Puy de Dôme Finale — Photo: sudouest.fr

Logistical Adjustments for the Volcanic Summit Finish

Organizers are implementing specific spectator caps and media innovations for the return to the Puy de Dôme, which last featured on the men’s itinerary in 2023 when Canadian rider Michael Woods won the stage. Because the region is a protected natural site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, attendance at the summit will be limited to between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators.

Rousse noted that production crews plan to mount cameras on the rack railway ascending the volcano to capture dynamic shots while respecting environmental regulations. The final podium ceremony will take place at the summit, reprising the climb’s historical status as a Tour de France giant following previous mountaintop finishes at the Super Planche des Belles Filles, the Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez, the Col de la Madeleine, and Mont Ventoux.