Tour de France 2027 route - Stage-by-stage guide

• From Friday, July 2 to Sunday, July 25
• From Edinburgh to Paris over 3,479km
• 2 individual time trials for a total of 71km
• 7 sprint stages, 6 hilly stages, 6 mountain stages
• 4 mountain ranges: Massif Central, Jura, Alps and Pyrenees 
• 3 summit finishes
• 53,450 metres of elevation gain in total

For the third time in Tour de France history, the 2027 Tour will begin with a British Grand Départ, twenty years after London hosted the start. 

In 2014, it was Leeds where the Tour began, and for 2027 it will be Edinburgh that kicks off the action and the beginning of the first of three stages on British soil.

Just like in 2014, the curtain opener presents a major opportunity for the sprinters to duke it out for the stage win and first yellow jersey.

Home favourite Mark Cavendish crashed in the finale of a chaotic opening stage in 2014 as Marcel Kittel romped to victory. In 2027, Matthew Brennan could well lead the British charge after a stunning Grand Tour debut where he won five stages at the Vuelta a España in September.

To win, Brennan and any other sprint hopefuls will have to navigate 185km and around 2,000m of elevation gain as the route heads through the hills of the Scottish Borders and towards England. 

Those after the polka dot jersey will have the chance to pick up mountain points on Côte de Melrose in the first half of the stage.

The riders will enter England inside the final 40km, passing through Longtown and Brampton on what should be a fast run-in to the finish in Carlisle.

While the opening stage looks very likely to suit the sprinters, stage 2 is a more challenging affair that could put some of the fast men in difficulty.

The 223km test from Keswick to Liverpool is set to test the endurance of the riders early on as the peloton takes in the stunning backdrop of the Lake District.

Additionally, the climbing legs will be well and truly warmed up with a sequence of five categorised climbs in the middle of the stage. 

The final categorised climb, the Côte de Parbold (1.8km at 5.6%) is crested 40km from the finish line in Liverpool, giving any riders who were distanced plenty of time to return to the peloton. 

Liverpool hosts the finish of the second stage, and while there are plenty of hills en route to Merseyside, the final run-in should suit the remaining fast men and another sprint finish could be on the cards.

After flurries in Scotland and England, stage 3 marks the Welsh chapter in this British Grand Départ with a 223km test from Welshpool to Cardiff.

This is undoubtedly the most climbing-dense stage of the three, featuring a total of 3,000m of elevation gain with seven climbs on the menu, categorised by their steepness.

Tour Director Christian Prudhomme summed it up, stating that “there’s no doubt about it: the sprinters will be knocked out of contention.”

The final climb, the Côte de Caerphilly (2km at 8.1km), could draw GC contenders out alongside the strongest puncheurs.

From the top of the climb, a fast 12.5km run-in remains to the finish, giving the stage a similar vibe to stage 2 to Sheffield in 2014.

On that occasion, Vincenzo Nibali launched a well-timed late attack after the final climb to take the stage win and yellow jersey, which he would go on to win in Paris.

The Tour reaches France after a travel rest day and starts on home soil with a 171km stage around Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, which will serve as a host town for the 19th time.

One of the main features of this stage is the significant amount of kilometres that hug the Norman coastline, and that naturally increases the potential importance of the wind.

With 2,200m of elevation gain in total and the potential impact of wind, it’s set to be a nervy stage that could see a reduced peloton tackle the uphill rise to the finish in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.

A hilly stage awaits the riders, with a 178km route featuring 1,900m of elevation gain, taking them from Pontorson to Plumelec.

The majority of the stage will likely be relatively straightforward for the peloton, and it isn’t until the final Plumelec circuit where the action is expected to ignite.

Inside the final 20km, the riders will tackle two ascents of the Côte de Cadoudal (1.7km at 6.2%). 

There will be 14km remaining at the top of the first ascent, and the second time up will take the riders to the finish line where the stage will be decided.

After a series of difficult stages that might stop the sprinters in their tracks, stage 6 presents an opportunity for the fast men to shine.

The 193km stage from Vannes to Angers features 1,500m of elevation gain with the bulk of the climbing coming in the opening half.

Angers serves as a host town for a milestone 20th time, and it was Mark Cavendish who took the honours in the last men’s Tour finish here back in 2016.

While the road gradually rises to the finish line, Angers looks set to crown another sprinter victorious.

One of the biggest talking points of the 2027 route is the 71 km of time trialling, the most since 2012.

The 71km is split over two tests, with the first being a 38km effort from Blois to Chambord.

It’s an undulating course that features 200m of elevation and suits Olympic and World champion Remco Evenepoel, who will be the overwhelming favourite for victory.

With no mountain tests so far, if Evenepoel hasn’t lost any significant time, it’s very possible that he could pull on the yellow jersey at the end of this stage and lead the Tour into the mountains. 

At the time of the initial route presentation, this is the longest stage of the 2027 Tour, taking on 224km from Bourges to Le Creusot. 

There’s around 3,100m of elevation gain packed into the menu, with the majority coming in the second half over the rugged Morvan.

Two significant categorised climbs await the riders inside the final 50km alongside a number of uncategorised kickers.

First up is the Côte de la Croix de la Libération (4.6km at 5.3%) before the well-renowned Signal d’Uchon (5.7km at 5.7%).

The summit of the Signal d’Uchon comes 18km from the finish, with a descent and undulating run-in to follow.

The route follows the hallmarks of stage 7 in the 2021 edition, where Matej Mohorič won solo from a galactico breakaway featuring race leader Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert, while behind in the peloton, Primož Roglič’s GC aspirations were dashed. 

The opening full week draws to a close with the first mountain stage of the 2027 Tour in the Jura.

Stage 9 takes the riders 162km from Villars-les-Dombes Parc des Oiseaux to the first summit finish, the Grand Colombier. 

After a flat start, the route takes in a trio of challenging categorised climbs that will build fatigue and sting the legs: the Col du Berthiand (6.3km at 7.5%), Côte de Neyrolles (3.6km at 7.7%), and the Col de Richemond (7.7km at 6%).

Despite their own difficulties, ultimately this trio of climbs will serve as the hors d'oeuvres for the main course, a first summit finish atop the Grand Colombier since 2023, when Michał Kwiatkowski was victorious from the breakaway. Tadej Pogačar also won atop the climb en route to winning the first of his Tours in 2020.

This mammoth mountain is 17.4km in length and averages 7.1%, marking the first opportunity for the strongest climbers in the race to make major differences in the GC picture.

Another challenging day in the mountains awaits the riders on the other side of the rest day, as the race heads to the Alps with a 171km route from Annecy to Sallanches. 

While the stage does not feature a summit finish, it still packs in 3,750m of elevation gain and also offers a taste of the course that will be used in the world championships less than a month later. 

After departing from Annecy, two categorised climbs feature in the first half of the stage: the Col du Plan du Salève (9.6km at 5.4%) and the Montée de Brison (5km at 10.2%).

The riders will pass through the finish line in Sallanches for the first time with 64km remaining, before swiftly tackling the Côte de Domancy for the first of two times.

This is the climb that will also feature in the Worlds road race and is 2.5km at a stinging 9.4%. 

The Montée du Bettex (5.5km at 8%) and the Côte du Plateau d’Assy (5.1km at 7.5%) are sandwiched in between before the second ascent of the Côte de Domancy, in what is a punishing spell of the stage that could see fireworks.

From the summit of the final Domancy climb, there is just 9km remaining with a fast run-in back to Sallanches. 

Stage 11 marks Bastille Day, and the Tour will celebrate with another challenging stage in the Alps.

The race organisers packed four categorised climbs and 4,750m of elevation gain into just 150km from Cluses to Les Saisies. 

The climbing begins from the get-go with the Col de la Colombière (15.9km at 7%), where there will likely be a relentless fight to make the day’s breakaway. 

More climbing challenges will follow with the Col de la Croix Fry (7.2km at 5.5%), Col de la Forclaz de Queige (5.1km at 8.2%), and Col du Pré (12.6km at 7.8%). 

The climbing concludes with the Montée de Bisanne (12.4km at 8.3%) before the final 4km to the finish at the Les Saisies ski station.

After the Alpine adventures that kicked off the second week, the sprinters will rejoice with another golden opportunity.

The 162km stage from Chambéry to Valence features 1,600m of elevation gain and no standout climbing tests.

As is often the case, nothing is guaranteed in cycling, and the final 25km in the Rhône Valley are exposed, and a change in direction with 10km to go could threaten to cause havoc if the wind plays ball.

Back-to-back flat stages will be music to the ears of the sprinters.

Beginning in Aubenas, the route travels 164km and covers 1,500m of elevation gain en route to Montpellier.

Montpellier features as a host for the 34th time and has established itself as a stomping ground for sprinting royalty, with Robbie McEwen (2005), Robbie Hunter (2007), Mark Cavendish (2011), André Greipel (2013) and Peter Sagan (2016) all winning here in the 21st century. 

The 2027 edition will feature a new finish in the city centre meaning the sprint teams will still have their homework to do.

The climbing resumes as the Tour heads to the Massif Central, where sweltering heat and explosive stages tend to await. 

At 199km in length with 4,300m of elevation gain running from Montpellier to Mende, the route always seems to be either snaking upwards or downhill and it’s the type of day where there could be a major fight for the breakaway. 

The Col du Vent (8.4km at 5.8%) marks the first of four categorised climbs on the menu and even though the summit comes after 40.5km of racing, there’s a chance that the breakaway formation could well still be taking place on its slopes. 

Next up is the longer and steeper Col de la Lusette (11.6km at 7.3%), which will really sting the legs. From the summit, 90km remains, and the route then descends its way towards the exhilarating finale. 

The Côte de l’Estrade (5.7km at 8.3%) will whittle down the peloton inside the final 30km before the final showdown on the blockbuster Côte de la Croix Neuve. 

First climbed in 1995 when Laurent Jalabert stomped his way to victory on Bastille Day, the Côte de la Croix Neuve always delivers action on its 3km slopes, which average a punishing 10.1%. 

While the damage is done on the climb, a rapid 1.5km run-in remains from the crest of the climb to the finish line in Mende. 

Michael Matthews soloed to an emphatic solo victory from the breakaway last time the climb featured in 2022 while nothing could separate Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard around 12 minutes later behind the 20+ rider breakaway. 

The second week concludes with a 169km rolling stage from Rodez to Albi that covers 2,500m of elevation gain. 

The stage lends itself to combative racing, and the breakaway stands a solid chance of holding off the peloton on a day that is set to feature eight categorised climbs. 

The final climb tops out less than 25km from the finish in Albi, and the finale features a descent that concludes around 5km from the finish. 

Things could become tactical in the closing kilometres before a rising false flat finish in Albi.

Week 3 kicks off with the second individual time trial of the 2027 edition, which could prove to be another crucial day for the GC contenders.

The stage is 33km in length and covers 200m of elevation gain, taking place around Toulouse, which serves as a host for the 30th time.

The course is flat for the most part, which will suit the specialists. However, the twist on the day is the inclusion of the short but steep Côte de Pech David (800m at 12.4%), which will cause a sharp change in rhythm. 

The top of the climb comes 9km from the finish before the road descends before a flat run-in to the finish.

It wouldn’t be a proper Tour de France route without a visit to Pau, and stage 17 delivers in this regard. 

Starting in Muret, the route takes in 186km along with 2,000m of elevation gain en route to Pau with a largely flat route that gives the sprinters another opportunity after Olav Kooij’s maiden victory here in 2026. 

While the stage is set to suit the sprinters, the inclusion of a finish in Pau reminds the peloton that the Pyrenees are on the horizon. 

This marks the first of a double header of Pyrenean blockbuster tests and the queen stage of the 2027 Tour de France. 

There is over 5,400m of elevation gain packed across four major mountains on the 174km route from Pau to the Col du Portet. 

The opening 35km are the flattest of the stage before the road begins to climb up the Col du Soulor (11.8km at 7.3%). 

From here, the riders will descend their way towards valley roads before taking on one of the Tour’s most famous ascents, the Col du Tourmalet (19km at 7.4%).

Featuring for the fifth edition running, the Tourmalet has the ability to shred the race to pieces, even though the summit comes with nearly 70km to go. Despite the summit sitting at a whopping 2,115 meters above sea level, it is not even the highest point of stage 18. 

The long-storied descent that follows takes the riders to the penultimate climb of the stage, the Hourquette d’Ancizan (8.2km at 5.1%), the shortest and shallowest climb of the stage, though still challenging in its own right with steep sections. 

At the top with 33.5km remaining, the road descends towards a short section of valley road before reaching the base of the summit finish, the Col du Portet. 

The climb stands at 16km in length with an average gradient of 8.7%, while the summit, sitting at 2,215m above sea level, marks the highest point of the 2027 Tour. 

This also marks just the third time the savage climb will feature as a summit finish after Nairo Quintana’s victory at the end of the 65km stage in 2018, and Tadej Pogačar outpunching Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz in 2021. 

After the queen stage the previous day, stage 19 marks the final mountain pilgrimage of the 2027 Tour with a 160km route from Hasparren to Laruns. 

There is little respite after the brutal test of the Col du Portet, with another 4,300m of climbing awaiting the peloton in the Pyrenees. 

The stage begins in Hasparren, venturing into the Basque Country, before the climbing starts in earnest with the Col de Burdincurutcheta (8.7km at 9.3%), with ramps reaching 15%, before the Col de Bagargui (4.8km at 6.4%) follows quickly after. 

The GC fight is set to unfold over the Col de Soudet (15.1km at 7.2%) and Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km at 8.6%). 

While the Col du Soudet is the longer ascent, the climb is still 60.5km from the finish, with plenty of valley road before the start of the Col de Marie Blanque, meaning it would take a bold move to go solo from here. 

The final climb is crested with 18.8km from the finish before a descent and undulating run-in to the finish in Laruns. Whoever is in yellow at the end of this stage has a very strong chance of being so come the end of stage 21 in Paris.

With the final mountains of the 2027 Tour ticked off, the penultimate stage presents the sprinters with a chance to win after enduring the Pyrenees. 

The stage is 198km in length and covers 1,700m of elevation gain, taking the riders from Maubourguet to Libourne.

While designed as a sprint stage, fatigue could be a key factor this deep into a Grand Tour, making the chase of a strong breakaway that extra bit more challenging. 

The final 6km take place on a long straight, meaning that the fight for position at the head of the peloton will be wide open, with the sprint teams hoping to set up for a mass dash to the finish in Libourne.

The 2027 Tour de France will draw to a close with a 116km route from Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to the Champs-Élysées in Paris. 

For the third year running the Tour’s curtain closer will feature three ascents of the epic Côte de la Butte Montmartre (1km at 6.5%).

This cobbled climb is quickly establishing itself in the history books after redefining the traditional final sprint showdown on the Champs-Élysées. 

While GC times have been neutralised on both occasions, there have been two epic races so far taking in this new finale.

Wout van Aert soloed to victory in inclement weather conditions in its first Tour appearance in 2025 after dropping yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar. 

In 2026, Pogačar was once again front and centre, this time going clear with Mathieu van der Poel, with the Dutchman managing to hold off the marauding peloton by a whisker in a nail-biting finish. 

The attacking stars have had the edge so far, but the sprinters will be buoyed by coming so close last season, setting up for another fascinating finale to the Tour.