by Manchester City Council
Details of the route set to be taken by riders competing in next year’s iconic Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been revealed and will see some of the best cyclists in the world pass through Manchester and the wider city region.
The starting and finishing points of the historic first-ever visit of the women’s race to Britain were revealed back in January, with Manchester announced as host city for both the Stage One finish on Friday 30 July 2027 and the Stage Two start the day after, on Saturday 31 July.
Full routes have now been revealed for the two stages of the 2027 Grand Départ as the race leaves host city Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester, where it will weave its way through Rochdale and Oldham into Manchester city centre, before going back out of Manchester via Stockport and Derbyshire to the finish in Sheffield – delivering two challenging and visually spectacular days of racing.
Together, the stages form the opening chapter of a historic moment for the sport as next year sees both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift both begin in the United Kingdom – the first time both Grand Départs have taken place in the same country outside France.
In another historic first for the race London will also play host a landmark moment in women’s cycling with the first-ever team time trial in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift taking place on the streets of capital.
It will see the world’s best riders racing together against the clock in their seven-rider teams via a central London circuit of approximately 18-kilometres, passing many of the capital’s popular landmarks and culminating in a spectacular finish on The Mall.
Hosting both Tours in the UK next year is expected to inspire participation at every level, and together with a special social impact programme, Joy, which will run alongside the Tours, is forecast to deliver a lasting impact beyond 2027.
Focused on improving health and wellbeing, skills development and connecting communities, Joy will create an opportunity for young people to develop and showcase their skills, whilst bringing together community groups to showcase and celebrate their local area.
This includes here in Manchester where – as host city – Manchester will work alongside partners in Oldham, Rochdale and Stockport, as well as GMCA, TfGM, British Cycling and others to ensure the Tour de France Femmes delivers a lasting impact.
A volunteer programme will also offer hundreds of people from Greater Manchester and thousands more across the country, the chance to be part of these historic sporting events – which together are set to be the largest free-to-watch sporting event in UK history – and to contribute to their success.
Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, British Cycling, said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s cycling in Great Britain and having two stages on our doorstep here in Greater Manchester makes it even more exciting, especially now we can reveal the towns and villages through which the race route will pass in each of the boroughs.
“The 2027 Grand Départ will be a historic national moment, capturing the attention of the whole country and unlocking lasting change for our communities. Through the JOY programme – our collective, game-changing social impact programme – we want to ensure that this moment inspires more girls and women to discover the joy of cycling and to help communities across Greater Manchester and the whole of Britain to get active.”
Stage One: Leeds to Manchester
Starting from the Headrow Leeds city centre on Friday 30 July, the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage to be held in Britain will pass through Headingley and the west of the city, crossing into Kirklees and passing through Heckmondwike and Mirfield, and tackling the Côte de Kirkheaton (1.7km at 7.5%), to reach Huddersfield.
The 85.7-kilometre (53.2 miles) route then drops south to cross the Pennines, taking in the Queen of the Mountains climb of Côte de Meltham (3.2km at 8.2%) in the north of the Peak District National Park before crossing into Oldham on the A635 and descending alongside Dove Stone Reservoir, through Greenfield and Uppermill.Riders will then tackle the Côte de Delph (2.1km at 6.3%) up to Grains Bar, which has featured in recent editions of both the men’s and women’s Tour of Britain, with just over 20 kilometres of racing remaining.
The tough nature of the climb here and its proximity to the finish could prove decisive in terms of who goes on to claim the opening stage win in Manchester city centre.
The route then circles the north of Greater Manchester, running alongside Chadderton Hall Park and into Rochdale, passing through the centre of Middleton, before turning south and running down Middleton Road, alongside Manchester’s Heaton Park and into Manchester.
Sweeping through Cheetham Hill on Bury Old Road, the final kilometres of the stage will see riders racing into the city centre, past the AO Arena and Manchester Cathedral, to line-up for what is sure to be a thrilling stage finish on Deansgate.
Stage Two: Manchester to Sheffield
Racing resumes a day later from Manchester’s Albert Square in front of the city’s magnificent Grade I listed Victorian Town Hall on Saturday 31 July for a spectacular stage through Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park to Sheffield.
Heading out of the city centre from Albert Square, along Oxford Road past the universities and through Rusholme, riders will then follow the A6 through Levenshulme and Heaton Chapel, before passing through the heart of Stockport, parallel to the town’s iconic brick viaduct.
The stage continues through Offerton and on to Marple, then into Derbyshire via New Mills and the Goyt Valley, before climbing begins with the unclassified ascent of Long Hill approaching Buxton.
Stage two will feature approaching 3,000 metres of climbing across its 154.4 kilometres (96 miles), with the peloton tackling some of the region’s most famous climbs including Winnats Pass (1.4km at 12.3%) and Snake Pass (5.4km at 4.6%).
After passing through some of the Peak District’s most celebrated landscapes, the race enters Sheffield where riders will face a succession of short but punishing climbs including the Côte d’Oughtibridge (1.5km at 9.1%) and the famous Côte de Jenkin Road (0.8km at 10.8%), both used when the men’s Tour de France finished in the city in 2014.
The stage will conclude with a finish on Attercliffe Common, using the same finish line where Vincenzo Nibali won in 2014, but approached from the opposite direction.
Stage Three: London Team Time Trail
The third and final day of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départ, on Sunday 1 August, will see riders tackling an 18-kilometre team time trial in central London, finishing on The Mall.
The full route for the London stage will be revealed later this year as part of the official presentation of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift route in Paris.
To find out more and stay up to date with the 2027 Grand Départs, including opportunities to volunteer at both races, visit: letourgb.com
