
Tour de France to start in Edinburgh in 2027
LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - The Scottish city of Edinburgh will host the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2027 as the world's most famous cycling race returns to Britain for the fifth time.
It will be the third time the race has started in Britain after London in 2007 and Leeds in 2014.
Organisers also confirmed on Wednesday that the Tour de France Femmes will come to Britain in 2027, the first time both races have held stages in the same country outside of France.
Further details on routes will be announced in the autumn, but the prospect of a stage on the cobblestones of Edinburgh's Royal Mile is a mouth-watering one.
Organisers also confirmed that the Tour's first three stages will be in Scotland, England and Wales.
"Why Edinburgh? Because it's a magical city," the Tour's General Director Christian Prudhomme told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday. "In the Tour de France and all cycling races, what is very important is the helicopter shots.
"Edinburgh and Scotland will offer a magnificent backdrop."
The Tour first came to Britain in 1974 when Plymouth hosted a stage and it returned 20 years later in Dover to celebrate the opening of the Channel Tunnel. London staged the Grand Depart in 2007 and in 2014 massive crowds perched on the Yorkshire hills as the race began in brutal and spectacular fashion.
"It was a wall of people, it was massive," Prudhomme said.
The opening stage in 2014 ended in Harrogate where home favourite Mark Cavendish crashed badly, ruling him out of the rest of the race. Despite that disappointment, Cavendish said starting a Tour in Britain was unforgettable.
"I did two British Grand Departs. The first one was my first ever Tour of France and for many years that was the greatest Grand Depart any rider of our generation could remember," sprinting great Cavendish, who won a record 35 Tour stages, told reporters.
"It was four, five people deep the whole way from London to Canterbury. Then we went to Yorkshire in 2014 and that was something else, wasn't it."
The return of the Tour to Britain and the first staging of the Tour de France Femmes in the country was a collaboration between Tour owners ASO, British Cycling, UK Sport and the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments.
Jon Dutton, CEO of British Cycling, said it represents an exciting moment for cycling in the UK.
"Hosting both the men's and women's races together will be a first, and we believe it has the potential to inspire more people to discover the joy and benefits of cycling," he said.
Glasgow hosted the inaugural combined UCI World Cycling Championships in 2023, contributing an estimated 205 million pounds ($265.89 million) to the local economy, according to the UCI.
Last year's Tour Grand Depart took place in Florence, Italy, with the 2026 race scheduled to start in Spain in Barcelona.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Che Adams relieved to break Scotland goal curse as George Hirst makes striker's job 'easier'
The Torino frontman hadn't scored in more than a year before netting a hat-trick in the 4-0 demolishing of Liechtenstein Hat-trick hero Che Adams ended his Scotland goal drought in style and then set his sights on the World Cup qualifiers. The striker netted a hat-trick as Scotland beat Liechtenstein 4-0 in Monday night's friendly in Vaduz. The Torino star netted his first international goal for more than a year and then went on to net a treble. Now he wants to keep that red-hot form into the World Cup qualifiers, which start in September against Denmark. Adams beamed: 'Yes, honestly amazing. It's always a pleasure to put on this shirt and score. 'It's been so long since I scored in the shirt. So to score one and eventually get two more was amazing and a nice way to sign off the season.' Adams had finished as Torino's top scorer and he acknowledged drawing a blank for his country was weighing heavily on his shoulders. He claimed: 'Obviously as a striker it's always in the back of your mind. As a striker, you're the one to put the ball in the net. It was made a bit easier playing with two strikers. 'We were able to keep a constant threat in behind, putting them under pressure. I fully enjoyed it and hopefully we can build off this now into the qualifiers.' Adams netted his first international treble and now has a nice memento from his big night. The former Birmingham City forward admitted: 'Yes, I got it (the ball) signed from all the boys. I've had four or five, but I can't remember the last one. 'Obviously, it's a nice little touch to finish off the season and get some well-deserved rest." Scotland haven't qualified for the World Cup since 1998 and that is something Adams and his team want to address. It is 88 days from Tuesday until the action starts away to Denmark. He warned: 'Obviously, to put things right against Liechtenstein today, following the poor result against Iceland. It's going to come short and sharp. Yeah, exactly. It's been a long time (since we made a World Cup). 'But I think everyone's mentally preparing now, from today really to look forward to those games and get back into playing in those competitions.' Adams is following in the footsteps of the late, great Denis Law for club and country. He recently broke his Italian scoring record and is also making an impact for Scotland. He said: 'A lot of people were saying that actually over there (beating Law's record). As I said, I'm delighted to have finished top scorer for Torino. I love it. 'I think it's going to be difficult for anyone to go to a different country, different culture and different league. For me to do that, a lot of people say it's brave, but it's something that I felt comfortable with doing. 'I've enjoyed every minute of it and hopefully I can build off this season and go again next season. But as I said, today was icing on the cake. Just to get the three goals and build off this into the qualifiers.' Adams has been part of a successful Scottish surge in Italy. Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour won Serie A with Napoli, Lewis Ferguson lifted the Coppa Italia and Josh Doig also won promotion back to the top-flight with Sassuolo. Adams joked: 'No, I don't know. We're always speaking about the league and how difficult it is and how tactically different it is. I think everyone's enjoyed it. 'Everyone's had respectable seasons. Especially the boys, obviously, that won trophies and Doigy, the one that got promotion. 'I think everyone's building and learning and putting themselves into these situations that not many people would. 'I think we're coming out with a lot of rewards from it.'


Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Hearts & Hibs defender hails Ibrox as 'noisiest' stadium
Demetri Mitchell, who currently plays for Exeter City, made the claim during an appearance on the 'From My Left' podcast. Read more: The 28-year-old, who played for both Tynecastle and Easter Road, said: "I've played in some big derbies like Hearts and Hibs. "I've played at Celtic Park. "I've played at Ibrox. "That's the noisiest stadium I've played in, Ibrox. "Bro, when the ball went out for a corner, my ears were ringing, ringing." Mitchell is not the first player to be impressed by the noise levels at the home of Rangers. Former Germany internationals Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez both recently praised Ibrox. Khedira, who won the World Cup with Germany in 2014, said: "For me, the most craziest experience ever was my first Champions League match. "We played Glasgow Rangers and it was such an amazing experience." Gomez, who won the Champions League with Bayern Munich, said: "I would say the Scottish fans like Celtic but to me I played against the Rangers and I will never forget this. "They've been really strong."

The National
an hour ago
- The National
Ex-Hearts and Hibs man ranks Ibrox experience above all
The 28-year-old has spells at both Tynecastle and Easter Road. Mitchell initially joined Hearts on a loan spell from Manchester United in 2018. He spent a year and a half in Gorgie before taking the controversial step to sign for Hibs a few years later, in 2022. Read more: The now Exeter City man recently spoke on the 'From My Left' podcast: "I've played in some big derbies like Hearts and Hibs," he said. "I've played at Celtic Park. I've played at Ibrox. That's the noisiest stadium I've played in, Ibrox. Bro, when the ball went out for a corner, my ears were ringing, ringing!" Mitchell is not the first opposition to have been in awe of Rangers' home ground. Indeed, former Germany stars Sami Khedira and Mario Gomez recently praised Ibrox: "For me, the most craziest experience ever was my first Champions League match," said the former. "We played Glasgow Rangers and it was such an amazing experience." Gomez, who won the Champions League with Bayern Munich, said: "I would say the Scottish fans like Celtic but to me I played against the Rangers and I will never forget this. They've been really strong."