“This is a huge moment for the sport” – Lizzie Deignan sees Tour de France Femmes British debut as a turning point for the next generation

When the women’s Tour de France comes to Britain in 2027, it will not just be another foreign start. It will land in the middle of a country that has already lived through Tour fever, but this time with the women’s race sharing the same sense of occasion.

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will begin in Leeds on Friday 30 July 2027, crossing the Pennines to Manchester, then riding through the Peak District to Sheffield before a final stage in London. It is the first time the women’s race has ever started in the United Kingdom, and it comes in the same summer as the men’s Grand Depart on British soil.

For Lizzie Deignan, that matters far beyond route maps and finish lines. She sees it as a moment that could change who cycling belongs to in the years ahead.

Speaking as part of the route announcement, Deignan said: “Racing the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has been one of the highlights of my career, and seeing the women’s edition go from strength to strength has been genuinely inspiring.” Looking ahead to 2027, she added: “To know that both the men’s and women’s races will start here in 2027, and especially that the women will come to my home roads of Yorkshire, is truly special.” For Deignan, the real weight of it comes in what follows next, calling it “a huge moment for the sport and an opportunity that will inspire countless women and girls to get on their bikes.”

This is not just about hosting a bike race. It is about visibility. For years, the women’s Tour existed in the shadow of the men’s race. Now, starting in Britain in the same summer as the men, it gets the kind of stage that makes it hard to ignore.

From the organisers’ side, the British start is being framed as a statement of intent about where the women’s race is heading.

Marion Rousse, Director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, said: “The United Kingdom has played an important role in the history of women’s cycling, with champions such as Lizzie Armitstead-Deignan.” She described Leeds as “a strong choice, closely linked to this heritage and to the enthusiasm of a public that knows and loves the Tour.” For Rousse, the route is not just scenic. She said the stages “clearly reflect the race’s ambition: to continue growing women’s cycling and to inspire future generations.”

That ambition is visible in the shape of the three days. Crossing the Pennines on stage one, riding through the Peak District on stage two and finishing with a showpiece day in London gives the women’s Tour a blend of toughness, scenery and city spotlight. It is built to look like a major race, not a sideshow.

The British government is also leaning heavily into the idea that hosting the women’s Tour is about who gets to see themselves in sport.

Minister for Sport Stephanie Peacock said the routes will “reach places few other events can and give people another reason to be proud of where they live.” She spoke about people seeing riders pass through “their towns, down their high streets and maybe even right past their front doors.” For Peacock, events like the Tour de France “bring communities together, boost local economies and inspire more people to discover the benefits of sport.”

But inspiration is only meaningful if it reaches people who do not already feel that cycling is for them. That is why Deignan’s words carry so much weight. She is not talking about television audiences or tourism numbers. She is talking about girls who might see the race and decide that cycling is something they can belong to.

In 2014, Britain saw what the men’s Tour could do to crowds and atmosphere. In 2027, the women’s Tour gets its own moment in that same spotlight. For Deignan, that is why this is not just another Grand Depart. It is a chance to change what the future of the sport looks like.