OFFICIAL: 2027 Tour de France confirmed for Edinburgh Grand Depart!

The 2027 Tour de France Grand Départ has been officially confirmed for Edinburgh, the first time Scotland will host the start of cycling's most prestigious race. The last time the Tour kicked off in the UK was back in 2014, when Yorkshire staged a spectacular Grand Départ, attracting 3.5 million spectators and generating an estimated £130 million economic impact.

That unforgettable Yorkshire edition saw stage one take the peloton from Leeds to Harrogate, where Marcel Kittel emerged victorious in a bunch sprint. However, British fans were left disappointed as Mark Cavendish crashed in the finale, preventing him from contesting the sprint and ultimately forcing him to abandon before stage two.

Over the three UK stages in 2014, no British riders claimed victory, with Kittel winning twice and Vincenzo Nibali triumphing on stage two from York to Sheffield, a race defining moment that set him on course for overall Tour victory.

The contrast between British cycling in 2014 and now couldn’t be more severe. When the Tour last came to the UK, Team Sky were at the height of their dominance, with Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, and Geraint Thomas all leading an era of British success at the Tour de France.

In the decade since, fortunes have shifted dramatically. Now competing as INEOS Grenadiers, the once all conquering team is a shadow of its former self, struggling to recapture its dominance as the Tour continues to be dictated by the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard.

The 2027 Tour de France will also feature a Welsh stage finishing in Cardiff, bringing the race back to another part of the UK with a rich cycling heritage. The inclusion of Wales is a nod to the country's deep rooted cycling culture and the legacy of 2018 Tour winner Geraint Thomas, one of Britain’s most successful riders who is retiring at the end of 2025.

Dr. Scott Arthur, MP for Edinburgh South West, expressed his excitement about the Tour finally coming to Scotland. "It’s a great place to start," he previously told Cycling Weekly when discussing the possibility of the Grand Départ being hosted in Edinburgh. However, he is particularly keen to see how the route takes shape.

"What I’d be interested in is the route through and around the city, so we’ll see where that goes," Arthur said.

Acknowledging the rivalry with Glasgow, which hosted the 2023 UCI World Championships, Arthur couldn't resist a light hearted dig. "The first time in Scotland would be amazing, and our friends in Glasgow will be really annoyed at us taking the stage, which is even better," he joked.

Beyond the sporting spectacle, Arthur analysed the economic and tourism benefits of hosting the Grand Départ in Edinburgh. "Edinburgh is a fantastic city, and I’m always proud that people come from all over the world to visit, and this is part of that… It comes slightly before the peak summer period, which is great as well for the city economy."

"The first discussion I had with Christian [Prudhomme, the Tour's director] and his team was actually in 2007, so it has had an 18-year gestation period," Paul Bush, the bid's chair, reveals in quotes collected by Cycling Weekly. "It has been about building confidence and a relationship. Christian challenged us. We suggested bringing the men’s and women’s races together, and he smiled… In 2027 we can build on the lessons of 2007 and 2014 and have the grandest of Grand Départs. This city [Edinburgh] is up there in terms of the backdrop it can provide, it’s probably one of the finest cities in Europe, if not the world. It will be the largest-ever free sporting event to come to Britain, and that’s pretty special."

"Edinburgh and Scotland will offer a magnificent backdrop for the Tour de France. It’s the only sports event that’s made for people who don’t like sports, because there’s geography, culture…" added Prudhomme himself. "2014 was like a wall of people, with smiles on everyone’s faces. It was a corridor of noise for the riders, it was impossible for them to hear anything during the three stages."