"No doubt going in to challenge for number six" - Chris Froome on Pogacar's expected Tour de France return and a 'closer' 2027 edition
Cycling
Chris Froome is a four-time winner of the Tour de France, and was one of the most recognizable faces on the Palais des Congrès this morning in Paris. The Briton has spoken about the route of the 2027 edition and Tadej Pogacar, the rider who should go into it as the man to beat.
"It is, as usual, a brutal Tour de France. There is really a bit of everything," Froome said, as reported by Cyclingnews.
As revealed this morning, the route will run through British territory, and will be followed by a few stages for the classics specialists and sprinters. A time trial on the opening week should open up the GC fight, with a summit finish on the Grand Colombier following.
The final week will also feature a long time trial, where differences can be made. The last time there were more TT kilometers in a Tour was 2012, the year Froome made his debut at the Grand Boucle - and finished second behind teammate Bradley Wiggins.
More time trialing kilometers at the Tour de France
"There are more time trial kilometers, that’s also interesting. We have seen the difference Tadej has made in the mountains so maybe with the time trials we’re going to see a bit of a closer race between the favourites," he argues. "That will change the approach to the race".
The more classic-looking route with plenty sprints and a larger amount of time trials was the most notable change from recent years. However with a dominant figure such as Pogacar, a rider with no weak points, there are naturally doubts that the course will change the outlook of the event.
"It's just incredible what Tadej has been doing these past few years. I imagine that next year he’ll be lining up as the main favourite for the Tour de France and no doubt going in to challenge for number six."
Chris Froome argues Tadej Pogacar is within range of a sixth Tour de France win
Froome preview British start
A British rider himself, Froome had the chance to experience a home Grand Depart back in 2014, back when the race began in Yorkshire. In 2027 Scotland, England and Wales will each host one stage during the opening weekend of the race.
"If it’s anything like it was in 2014, the start over in Scotland is going to be amazing," he anticipates.
"The first three stages on UK soil is going to be be something really special. If it’s anything like 2014 it will just be millions and millions of people who come out".
Froome, now retired, followed the race last year as an ambassador for Skoda. His point of views on the Tour is now different, but admits that a large audience is one of the things he looks forward to the most.
"I never saw a Grand Départ of a Tour de France that was bigger than 2014 so I imagine next year is going to be similar," he believes.
"A lot of colour, a lot of people will really take the opportunity to come out and experience the Tour de France – people who've never been to France to watch the race. I expect millions of people will be on the roads."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Remco has an open road to the 2nd place next yearBenAflec22-10-2026
- I think he's close. For one thing - and this won't be a well-received take - I won't be surprised if Pog skips RVV this year. He has bigger goals, most of which are later in the season. The big thing in the spring is PR, and there is case for him come into that race fresh and maybe with a couple of kg of additional weight. But even if Pog does do RVV, Wout can win. As he is sometimes prone, he blew himself up too early last year trying to keep up with Pog on Oude de Kwaremont. Had he been just a bit more patient he might well have ended up chasing with either Remco or MVDP. Still not easy to catch Pog, and no guarantee he'd beat the other two even if they did. But the point remains: it's there if things go just right.MidnightRider22-10-2026
- Tadej will just spend more time on his TT bike and neutralize everyone on these stages.mij22-10-2026
- It would be a shame to lose one of the coolest names in the pro peloton...bobo22-10-2026
- Pog can be beat, so, yeh 👍
leedorney22-10-2026 - absolutely iconic face/effortwrsty22-10-2026
- EF makes some pretty good signings. Tao and Sosa could be decent replacements for Carapazmij22-10-2026
- gravel is such a great discipline. I hope it gets bigger from a media standpoint. looking at old Tour de France stages, they were basically gravel before it was called gravelmij22-10-2026
- This is good for the sport ? Spreading of talent around the peloton.
Davide22-10-2026 - Im all in with you Wally. Good Luck.Davide22-10-2026
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