Every time Tour de France wanders outside the French borders, it tends to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for foreign fans to see the world's biggest cycling race pass through their home region. And the cycling enthusiasts as well as regular locals of Scotland, England and Wales will be granted this special privilege in 2027 with the Grand Départ hosted by the United Kingdom.
Of course, the project would not have happened without all those working in the spotlight, but also behind the scenes to make the ends meet. Many would go as far as to call it a dream come true. One of those people would without a sliver of doubt be Brian Cookson, the UCI president between 2013 and 2017.
The Tour will be "absolutely brilliant and a fantastic route" according to the former UCI boss who previously run the British Cycling for decade and a half, and who stood behind the UK Grand Départ in 2014.
The race is "literally going to come past my doorstep in Whalley," said Cookson, adding: "But it's not just a good time on the day, it's an opportunity to build on this and get people to get involved in cycling and other forms of activity."
"It is massive for Lancashire, massive for all those communities and we're hoping this is a once in moment opportunity for the nation. We think there could be between 10 and 15 million people in the streets of the UK," Paul Bush, managing director of the 2027 Grand Depart told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"People can come out, have some fun, and really get into the spirit of the Tour de France. It's going to be incredibly exciting." The Lancashire County Council estimates a turn out of over £15 millions thanks to the race's passage.
Matt Townsend, director of highways and transport for Lancashire County Council, said the authority worked with the organisers to develop the route "to get the best of Lancashire".
"This is one of the world's biggest sporting events on our doorstep," he said. "And we are at the heart of it."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
- dude, Lemond never even was in the same race as Armstrong. He throws all these aspersions on other American riders who might usurp his throne as the greatest ever American racer. He doesn't say a single thing about (foreign) dopers who he actually raced against. Biggest douchebag move ever. I used to revere that guy, now I despise him. His actions are so weird.fatsupermodel02-11-2026
- This is just stupid, You do what you are good at not what you are weak at. He has no results to speak of when he participated. Even Froome, Conatdor had very little. With Pogi there he wont win none of the classics. he is already 30+ with a few years left at the top. It takes years to get good at classics. Is that really worth the effort???abstractengineer02-11-2026
- Sure, little fella.awp02-11-2026
- You'll be the ongoing joke of 2027 with anything you post here!frieders302-11-2026
- Awwww your inside information must be from PogiFanGirl. You two daughters of different mothers?frieders302-11-2026
- Hey PogIFanGirl...wipe that cream from your lips! You're ever loving drooling and whatever you have for Tadej has your brain fried!frieders302-11-2026
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