Details of the route set to be taken by riders competing in next year’s iconic Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been revealed and will see some of the best cyclists in the world pass through Manchester and the wider city region.
The starting and finishing points of the historic first-ever visit of the women’s race to Britain were revealed back in January, with Manchester announced as host city for both the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July 2027 and the Stage Two start the day after, on Saturday 31 July.
Full routes have now been revealed for the two stages of the 2027 Grand Départ as the race leaves host city Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester, where it will weave its way through Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before going back out of Manchester via Stockport and Derbyshire to the finish in Sheffield – delivering two challenging and visually spectacular days of racing.
Together, the stages form the opening chapter of a historic moment for the sport as next year sees both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift both begin in the United Kingdom – the first time both Grand Départs have taken place in the same country outside France.
In another historic first for the race London will also play host a landmark moment in women’s cycling with the first-ever team time trial in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift taking place on the streets of capital.
It will see the world’s best riders racing together against the clock in their seven-rider teams via a central London circuit of approximately 18-kilometres, passing many of the capital’s popular landmarks and culminating in a spectacular finish on The Mall.
Hosting both Tours in the UK next year is expected to inspire participation at every level, and together with a special social impact programme, Joy, which will run alongside the Tours, is forecast to deliver a lasting impact beyond 2027.
Focused on improving health and wellbeing, skills development and connecting communities, Joy will create an opportunity for young people to develop and showcase their skills, whilst bringing together community groups to showcase and celebrate their local area.
This includes here in Manchester where – as host city – Manchester will work alongside partners in Oldham, Rochdale and Stockport, as well as GMCA, TfGM, British Cycling and others to ensure the Tour de France Femmes delivers a lasting impact.
A volunteer programme will also offer hundreds of people from Greater Manchester and thousands more across the country, the chance to be part of these historic sporting events – which together are set to be the largest free-to-watch sporting event in UK history – and to contribute to their success.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“Being able to watch the world’s best cyclists in action and in such an iconic event, taking place right here on our doorstep in the heart of Manchester next summer, is going to be epic on so many levels.
“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 and next year’s Tour de France Femmes is set to play a huge part in helping inspire the next generation of sporting talent from our city.
“With millions of spectators expected to line the routes, including here in the city centre, we’ll be going all out to help ensure the event’s success with what is set to be a ‘Tour takeover’ of the city to maximise opportunities for local people and businesses to get involved, to grow their own sporting skills, and to take part in the many community activities being planned.”
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said:
“Greater Manchester hosting the opening stages of the Tour de France Femmes is a huge opportunity for everyone who lives, works and will visit here during that time, and we are expecting excitement to grow even further, especially now we know the route the Grand Départ will take through our city-region.
“Seeing the competitors of the world’s biggest women’s cycling race right up close, as they weave their way through Manchester, Stockport, Rochdale and Oldham, will be incredibly inspiring for people of all ages and the benefits to local communities and future generations of riders will be far reaching. Hosting both a finish and a start means that everyone visiting the city centre will have an incredible opportunity to be close at hand to the pre and post-race action too, something that is truly unique in the sport of cycling.
“Hosting the first two days of the Grand Depart not only shines a global spotlight on women’s cycling, it boosts visibility for elite sport and the opportunities available that encourage more women and girls to see cycling as something for them. I’m excited to see the legacy of this historic event and with all the work being done in preparation for the arrival of “Le Tour”, know it will be felt in Greater Manchester for years to come.”
Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, British Cycling, said:
“This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s cycling in Great Britain and having two stages on our doorstep here in Greater Manchester makes it even more exciting, especially now we can reveal the towns and villages through which the race route will pass in each of the boroughs.
“The 2027 Grand Départ will be a historic national moment, capturing the attention of the whole country and unlocking lasting change for our communities. Through the JOY programme – our collective, game-changing social impact programme – we want to ensure that this moment inspires more girls and women to discover the joy of cycling and to help communities across Greater Manchester and the whole of Britain to get active.”
The TDFF 2027 will see cyclists make their way through Oldham and Rochdale into Manchester city centre for the Stage One Finish on Friday 30 July, before the Stage Two depart from Manchester city centre the next day, with cyclists following a route that leaves the city centre, heading through south Manchester and Stockport, en route for the Stage Two finish in Sheffield.
