The 2027 men’s and women’s Tour de France will both begin in Britain, with Manchester a key part of the women’s route.
Widely known as the world’s most famous cycling race, the Tour de France began in 1903, originally created as a promotional event for newspaper L’Auto.
The women’s Tour de France will pass through Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield, with the North West playing a ‘central role’. Manchester will host the end of the first stage and the beginning of the second stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the women’s race.
Manchester was named as the European Capital of Cycling in 2024, and is home to British Cycling. The National Cycling Centre velodrome which first opened in 1994 iis based in East Manchester.
Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Skills Employment and Leisure at Manchester City Council, said: “Manchester has a decades-long association with cycling and with women’s sport, and championing women and girls to participate in and enjoy sports – including cycling – at all levels from entry through to elite, is really important to us.
The event is set to raise Manchester’s profile further, as the city continues to be placed on a global stage.
