Britain set to host men's Tour de France Grand Depart in 2027

According to BBC Sport, the "Grand Depart" of the Tour de France, the men's cycling race, is scheduled to return to the UK in 2027.

The last time the UK hosted the opening stage of this world-class cycling event was in 2014, when the race started in Leeds, Yorkshire, and subsequently had finish lines in Sheffield and London. The UK's first "Grand Depart" was in London in 2007.

Currently, the details of the race route are still being finalized, and in-depth negotiations between the UK sports authorities and the event organizers are ongoing. However, according to reliable sources, an official announcement could be made as early as next month. UK Sport, the UK's sports funding body, identified the 2027 Tour de France as one of the international sporting events it aimed to host in the UK last year and has been in talks with the event organizer ASO and British Cycling.

In a statement, UK Sport said: "We have made no secret of our ambition to bring the 'Grand Depart' of the Tour de France to the UK, inspiring more people to enjoy cycling and bringing lasting benefits to communities. However, we respect that this is a decision for ASO and will continue to work hard to develop opportunities to bring the joy of cycling to everyone."

According to official reports, the total roadside audience for the three stages in England in 2014 reached 4.8 million, with 3.5 million unique spectators. This helped generate a total income of approximately £128 million, with Yorkshire alone contributing £102 million. Last year's "Grand Depart" was held in Florence, Italy, and the 2026 race is planned to start in Barcelona, Spain. In 2021, the UK government announced it would allocate millions of pounds in an attempt to bring the "Grand Depart" back for the 2026 Tour de France, with stages in England, Scotland, and Wales, but that bid was later abandoned. Two years later, Scottish Cycling also expressed its desire to host the Tour de France after hosting the UCI World Championships in the country. In 2024, Ireland's application to host the 2026 or 2027 "Grand Depart" was also withdrawn.