“The most expensive Grand Départ ever”: UK faces sharp debate over £65 million bill for 2027 Tour de France double-start

The United Kingdom is expected to spend approximately £65 million hosting the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes Grand Départs, making the event one of the most expensive international cycling ventures ever staged. With public funding covering much of the bill, the investment has prompted questions about whether the races can deliver lasting benefits for participation in cycling, beyond the economic activity and crowds generated during race week.

British journalist Jeremy Whittle described the project as the “most expensive Grand Départ ever” in his Substack newsletter, estimating that the combined cost of the six days of racing across the men's and women's events would amount to roughly £11 million per day. The expenditure covers more than the race itself, including organizational costs, safety and security, local authority support, and projects intended to encourage cycling after the peloton has left.

The UK Government has confirmed that it will provide £32.17 million toward staging the two events. Scotland has announced funding of up to £9.25 million for the men's Tour start, while Edinburgh City Council plans to use £1.7 million in revenue from its visitor levy to support the opening stage. Wales has allocated £4.5 million for cycling tourism infrastructure intended to create a lasting legacy from the race.

The figures announced by the different administrations account for a substantial portion of the reported overall cost, although they do not by themselves explain the entire £65 million estimate. The wider spending includes the arrangements required to host both races across several parts of the country.

The UK Government has forecast more than £150 million in economic benefits across Great Britain from the combined Grand Départs. The projected return would come through tourism, visitor spending, business activity and the international exposure generated by the races.

There is a precedent for substantial short-term returns. When the men's Tour last began in England in 2014, staging costs for local and national authorities were estimated at approximately £29.4 million, compared with an estimated £128 million in economic benefits. The 2007 London start and the 2014 Yorkshire Grand Départ also helped bring cycling to a wider British audience, attracting large roadside crowds and extensive television coverage.

However, projected economic benefits are not the same as money returned directly to public budgets. They can include spending by visitors and activity generated for local businesses, while the public cost of hosting the event remains a separate consideration. The longer-term value of the 2027 races will therefore depend partly on whether the initial investment produces measurable benefits beyond the summer of 2027.

ASO, the Tour's organizer, charges host destinations a substantial fee to stage the Grand Départ. Recent editions have reportedly involved fees exceeding £10 million, with Barcelona and other recent hosts facing significant costs. The exact fee paid for the British start has not been publicly established.

One of the main concerns is whether the event can reproduce the longer-term effects associated with previous British Grand Départs. While the 2007 and 2014 editions helped raise cycling's profile, the wider environment has changed considerably.

“So how do you measure the legacy of these grand, one-off events? Certainly in Yorkshire more pints were pulled, more cups of tea brewed, more hotel beds sold. Economically there was a tangible short-term benefit. The vibes were good,” Whittle wrote.

“The landscape has changed since then. There is no more Team Sky, no more ITV free-to-air coverage and the membership of British Cycling is now in decline. We have had a pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and there is war in Europe.”

The government and organizers are seeking to address that challenge through legacy initiatives, including cycling tourism infrastructure and a social impact program designed to encourage participation and physical activity. The key question will be how these commitments are implemented and whether they produce results that can be measured after the event.