“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.
Read also
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.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- The road from Holyrood to Edinburgh Castle is a nice steady climb of just over a mile that is cobbled in many parts. (Very slippery if wet!) If the teams are going by one by one that will give fans an even better view of the riders up close than the castle esplanade.Cyclingsbestfan07-11-2026
- wtf dudemij07-11-2026
- big rival … ridiculous.Ketterechts07-11-2026
- It would be great if the World Champion's jersey could be rotated among McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson. They threaded the needle perfectly. If each hadn't done exactly what he did, exactly when he did it, the race would have gone to one of the more heralded superstars. That said, how nice that this humble and hardworking guy gets his moment in the sun.
MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Seriously do you think when somebody gets into a serious accident, the ambulance is called by the hurt person?🤦 there is always a buddy system in place for a risky job. police , firefighters etc so that if someone gets hurt, the other call that in.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments