Cycling took over Leeds on 30 July as the year-long countdown to the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift got under way, with an eye-catching pop-up event in City Square marking exactly 12 months until the big day.
The city will make sporting history on 30 July 2027, when it hosts the start of stage one — the first time the world’s biggest women’s professional cycle race has visited Britain. Branded in the Tour’s famous yellow and running until 6pm, the event let residents learn more about the plans for 2027, pick up promotional material and find out about the Grand Départ’s JOY Makers volunteering programme. Guests included Councillor James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, and Dean Hardman, readiness director for Grand Départ GB, and visitors had the chance to mark the milestone with a “selfie moment” alongside a large-scale version of the race’s logo.
Councillor James Lewis said: “We were delighted to be announced earlier this year as one of the host locations for the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Now, with 12 months to go, excitement can really begin to build ahead of a day that will further strengthen our reputation as a key player on the national and international sporting stage. The event in City Square is a great way of marking today’s milestone, with people getting the chance to learn more about the Grand Départ and what it will mean for Leeds. Detailed preparations for the race are continuing and, alongside the organisers, we will be working hard over the next 12 months to keep communicating all the latest information to local residents, businesses and communities.”
The 2027 Grand Départ runs from Leeds to Manchester on 30 July, Manchester to Sheffield on 31 July, before finishing in London on 1 August. The Leeds stage starts on the Headrow, with riders completing a partial loop of the city centre before heading out towards Headingley. After passing Headingley Stadium, the route continues to Kirkstall and Bramley, then south via Gamble Hill and Farnley, west to Drighlington, and on across the boundary into Kirklees and over the Pennines to Manchester.
Full details of the roads involved, along with information on temporary closures and traffic restrictions, will be announced in due course, alongside a wider engagement programme with residents and businesses. People can sign up for Leeds-specific updates via a mailing list on the Visit Leeds website.
The 2027 race will make Leeds the first place outside mainland Europe to host the start of stage one of a Grand Départ for both the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Around 230,000 people packed the city centre for the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with a further two million lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route.
The men’s 2027 Tour de France is also coming to the UK, running from 2 to 4 July and visiting cities including Edinburgh, Carlisle, Liverpool and Cardiff. Both races are organised by French company ASO, with delivery of the 2027 Grand Départs led by Grand Départ GB and British Cycling.
For more information about the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départ, including volunteering opportunities, visit letourgb.com.
