Edinburgh will mark a historic start for the 2027 Tour de France, becoming the most northerly starting point ever. Announced in Paris on Thursday, the route promises an exciting blend of stages across Scotland, England, and Wales, with the Pyrenees set to provide a competitive finale next year.

The Scottish capital takes the spotlight after last year’s southern start in Barcelona, continuing the trend of launching the race from abroad for five out of six years. While the first three stages in the UK were revealed in January, the full route includes two individual time-trials and a climactic stage around Paris, featuring the iconic Montmartre for the third consecutive year.

Highlights of the route include:

• Stage 7: A flat 38 km time-trial, likely favoring Remco Evenepoel.
• Stage 9: The first mountain challenge, finishing on Grand Colombier.
• A total of 28 climbs and 53,450m of elevation gain, with the highest point at the Col du Portet in the Pyrenees.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme emphasized that the course aims to create opportunities for cycling's best puncheurs while avoiding a repeat of Tadej Pogacar's dominant run in 2026. The design intends to keep the competition open, stating, "I want to muddy the waters."

The 2027 Tour de France Femmes will also make history, beginning in Leeds and featuring the first-ever team time-trial in front of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Its finale at the challenging Puy de Dôme promises to be a crucial moment in the race.