“You can't win much, but you can lose an awful lot” – Former Tour de France star fears British Grand Départ could derail 2027 yellow jersey dreams
Cycling
The 2027 Tour de France could see the ambitions of its biggest favourites unravel before the peloton even reaches France. Former Tour stage winner Rolf Sorensen has raised concerns about the dangers awaiting riders during the historic British Grand Départ, warning that narrow roads, roadside obstacles and unfamiliar layouts could make the opening three days particularly treacherous.
With Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel expected to feature among the contenders when the race begins in Edinburgh on 2 July, avoiding accidents will be a priority from the very first kilometre.
"You can't win much, but there's that cliché we always use: you can certainly lose an awful lot in Britain," Sorensen warned on TV 2 Sport's Med Schwung på cycling podcast.
"There are narrow roads in many places. There are lots of spectators, walls and hedges, so if you crash, there's nowhere for you to go," he added.
The 2027 Tour de France is set for a British Grand Depart
Could British roads catch the Tour favourites out?
The opening three stages will take the peloton from Edinburgh to Carlisle, Keswick to Liverpool and finally Welshpool to Cardiff, marking the Tour's first visit to Scotland and Wales.
Sorensen is particularly concerned about how riders accustomed to racing on continental European roads will negotiate certain features of the British road network.
"They drive on the left over there, and that means the traffic islands are positioned differently from what riders are used to when taking corners," he explained. "That's why I'm worried we'll lose some riders during those three days over there."
The opening stage offers the sprinters an opportunity to claim the first yellow jersey, with a relatively flat route through the Scottish Borders towards Carlisle. The following day introduces more demanding terrain through northern England, including five categorised climbs between Keswick and Liverpool.
Stage three could prove particularly significant for the general classification contenders. The 223-kilometre journey from Welshpool to Cardiff features approximately 3,000 metres of climbing, with eight categorised ascents and six packed into the final 80 kilometres.
Those final climbs could encourage attacks among the favourites, particularly if teams see an opportunity to exploit rivals struggling with positioning or the relentless changes in terrain.
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"If you hit one of those at 60km/h, you're going to come off a bit worse"
Fellow TV 2 cycling expert Christian Moberg is particularly wary of the opening day in Scotland, where the scenery that organisers hope will provide a spectacular backdrop also features obstacles he considers dangerous for a racing peloton.
"Scotland has some fantastic Highland scenery, but there are dry-stone walls everywhere," Moberg said. "If you hit one of those at 60km/h, you're going to come off a bit worse than if you land in a field."
The 2027 Grand Départ will be Britain's first since Yorkshire hosted the opening stages in 2014, when enormous crowds lined the roads to welcome the world's biggest cycling race.
That occasion also provided a painful reminder of the consequences of an early crash. Mark Cavendish had targeted victory on the opening stage in Harrogate, hoping to claim his first yellow jersey in front of a home crowd. Instead, he crashed during the final sprint, suffering a shoulder injury that prevented him from starting stage two.
The British stages will conclude in Cardiff on 4 July before a rest day and the Tour's return to France, where the first individual time trial awaits on stage seven. The favourites will have covered more than 600 kilometres across Britain before reaching that first major test against the clock.
For Cavendish in 2014, the chance to race for victory on home roads disappeared within sight of the opening finish line. Sorensen's warning is that the 2027 contenders could face similarly costly consequences before the fight for the yellow jersey has truly begun.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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