“I don't want fans paying €10 to watch on Alpe d'Huez” – Former Tour de France star fears worrying precedent as 2027 Grand Départ charges spectators
Cycling
Rolf Sorensen has warned that professional cycling risks becoming increasingly exclusive after the organisers of the 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ introduced paid admission for the official team presentation in Edinburgh. The former Tour stage winner fears the decision could contribute to a worrying trend, even invoking the possibility of supporters one day being charged to watch the race on Alpe d'Huez.
Tickets for the ceremony at Edinburgh Castle on 30 June, two days before the race begins in Scotland, started at £27 and have already sold out. It marks the first time since the 2014 Grand Départ in Yorkshire that spectators have been charged to attend the Tour's official team presentation.
"I wouldn't want people having to pay €10 to get onto Alpe d'Huez either. It's a bad trend," Sorensen warned on TV 2 Sport's Med Schwung på cycling podcast.
His concerns are rooted in the atmosphere surrounding cycling's biggest races, where supporters can spend days gathering along mountain roads without needing tickets or designated seating areas.
"I think it's a bad trend," he said. "Being able to go and sit by the roadside for free, that's part of what makes cycling special. You see French fans arriving several days in advance, having barbecues and enjoying themselves. That's something cycling offers that perhaps no other sport can."
"Cycling is a sport for the people"
The 2022 Tour de France Grand Départ in Copenhagen remains a particularly fond memory for Sorensen. Thousands of supporters gathered at Tivoli Gardens for a free team presentation, giving the Danish riders an extraordinary welcome before the race began on home roads.
"We managed it at Tivoli. There were at least 25,000 people there. Everyone could come along and be part of the celebration," he recalled. "It created a really special atmosphere. We need to be careful about turning these things into exclusive VIP events. Cycling is a sport for the people."
Tour organisers recorded an attendance of 15,000 rather than the 25,000 recalled by Sorensen. The reception nevertheless produced one of the memorable images of that year's Grand Départ, with Jonas Vingegaard visibly moved by the welcome from his home supporters before going on to win his first Tour de France title.
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Edinburgh's ceremony will take a different approach. Produced by the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the seated event on the castle esplanade will combine the presentation of the Tour's 184 riders with traditional Scottish entertainment. Tickets ranged from £27 to £99, with organisers confirming on 30 October that the available seats had sold out.
Supporters without tickets will still be able to see the riders beforehand. The entire peloton is scheduled to travel from Holyrood Palace along the Royal Mile to Edinburgh Castle, with the procession open to the public free of charge. Watching the Tour itself from the roadside will also remain free when racing begins on 2 July.
The Edinburgh presentation will take place five years after Copenhagen welcomed the Tour with its free celebration at Tivoli Gardens. While the Royal Mile procession offers another opportunity for supporters to see the world's best riders, the official ceremony itself will be restricted to those who secured one of the sold-out tickets.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026
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