UK receives Grand Départ Trophy ahead of 2027 Tour de France
The UK has received the Grand Départ Trophy from Barcelona, confirming Britain’s status as the next host of both the men’s and women’s Grands Départs in 2027.
The trophy was presented on the Tour de France final podium on the Champs-Élysées in Paris by this year’s Grand Départ host, Barcelona, with Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona, handing it over to British cycling greats Lizzie Deignan MBE and Sir Mark Cavendish.
Stage 1 of next year’s Grands Départs will take place on Friday, 2 July, covering 184km from Edinburgh to Carlisle. The opening stage will see riders travel south from the Scottish capital into northern England.
On Saturday, 3 July, Stage 2 will be the longest of the opening three stages, covering 223km from Keswick to Liverpool as the race heads west across northern England.
Stage 3, on Sunday, 4 July, will also span 223km, taking riders from Welshpool to Cardiff. The route will travel through Wales before finishing in the Welsh capital.
“As of now, Great Britain formally steps forward as the next host of the Tour de France. For the first time in the race’s history, both the men’s and women’s Grands Départs will start in the same country outside France, and that country is Britain. We are determined to make 2027 a moment the whole nation can be proud of,” said Paul Bush, Managing Director of Grand Départ GB 2027.
The handover follows the recent confirmation of a free-to-air broadcast deal for the UK stages with Channel 5.
“Having raced in 2007 and 2014 in the UK, I know first-hand how amazing the British public are at Le Tour and can’t wait to see it on an even bigger scale with both races next year. Taking this trophy back to Britain tonight means a lot,” said Cavendish.
Deignan added: “Being on that podium in Paris and being handed that trophy was a really special moment. It’ll be a big moment for the whole country, and I hope people come out to line those roads and experience the world’s biggest bike races in any way they can.”
Lastly, the handover comes as recruitment continues for the thousands of volunteers needed to deliver the 2027 Grands Départs. Applications are open until 1 September for anyone aged 16 and over, regardless of background or experience.
Recently, the first in a series of public activations celebrating the historic Grand Départ GB 2027 took place in Edinburgh on 2 July, coinciding with the start of the 2026 Tour de France in Barcelona.
Held at Edinburgh Waverley railway station, the activation marked exactly one year until the Tour de France departs from the Scottish capital on 2 July 2027. It will be the first time in the race’s history that the Grand Départ has been held in Scotland. The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will follow from Leeds on 30 July 2027.
