Tour de France Femmes 2027 route revealed: Historic team time trial and brutal Puy de Dôme finale await

• From Friday, July 30 to Saturday, August 7
• From Leeds to Puy de Dôme over 1,156km
• 9 stages with no rest days
• 1 team time trial of 18km in London, a first in race history
• 4 flat stages, 2 hilly stages, 2 mountain stages and 1 team time trial
• 2 summit finishes: La Loge des Gardes and Puy de Dôme
• Final 3 stages through the Massif Central
• Highest point: Col de la Croix Saint-Robert at 1,451 metres
• 17,665 metres of elevation gain in total

The 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will conclude on the Puy de Dôme, one of the most celebrated climbs in French cycling, after nine consecutive days of racing that begin in Leeds on July 30. 

The introduction of an 18km team time trial in London adds another dimension to a route that reserves its most demanding climbing for the final three stages.

The sixth edition was presented in Paris on Thursday, with organisers unveiling a route of 1,156km with 17,665 metres of elevation gain. While the route includes four stages classified as flat, several feature enough climbing to encourage attacks and complicate matters for the sprinters.

The race will feature two mountain stages and two hilly stages, with the first summit finish coming at La Loge des Gardes on stage 7. 

The following day takes the peloton across the high ground of the Auvergne before the final stage from Clermont-Ferrand to the Puy de Dôme, which includes 3,840 metres of climbing across 170km.

Unlike the men's Tour, there will be no rest day following the opening three stages in Great Britain. The peloton will transfer to France and resume racing immediately on August 2, adding another element of difficulty to an already demanding programme.

The Puy de Dôme is the latest in a series of iconic climbs to feature in the Tour de France Femmes. Since the race's return in 2022, the peloton has tackled La Planche des Belles Filles, the Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d'Huez, the Col de la Madeleine and Mont Ventoux. In 2027, the steep slopes of the Puy de Dôme will provide the setting for the race's final showdown.

Defending champion Demi Vollering will be among those expected to challenge for yellow, but the varied terrain, the team time trial and the demanding final weekend should leave room for several different approaches to the general classification.

The Tour de France Femmes gets under way in Leeds on Friday, July 30, with an 86km opening stage to Manchester. Although it is the shortest road stage of the race, the 1,400 metres of climbing mean the first yellow jersey will not necessarily go to a sprinter.

The route includes three categorised climbs, with Meltham (3.2km at 8.4%) providing the first significant obstacle around the halfway point. The Côte de Delph (2.1km at 6.3%) follows with 24km remaining, leaving the sprinters with some work to do if they are distanced on the climbs.

The relatively short distance could encourage aggressive racing from the start, although the run into Manchester still leaves room for a regrouping. Lorena Wiebes will be among the riders hoping for a sprint finish, but the undulating terrain should also appeal to the more versatile fast finishers.

Stage 2 from Manchester to Sheffield is a considerably more demanding proposition, with 2,800 metres of climbing packed into 154km. The route crosses the hills of Yorkshire and the Peak District, taking in a succession of short, steep ascents that give the stage the appearance of an Ardennes Classic.

The difficult roads to Sheffield have previous Tour de France history. Vincenzo Nibali won the second stage of the men's race here in 2014, taking the yellow jersey after attacking in the finale. The 2027 women's stage uses some of the same terrain, although the approach to the finish differs.

The repeated climbs should provide opportunities for attackers and could already create gaps among the general classification contenders. Exposed sections of road and frequent changes in direction could add to the difficulty, particularly if the weather is unfavourable.

The British Grand Départ concludes on stage 3 with an 18km team time trial through central London, the first in the history of the modern Tour de France Femmes.

The largely flat route takes the riders past several of London's most recognisable landmarks, including Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park, before finishing on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

Under the applicable regulations, the time will be recorded on the fourth rider from each team to cross the line, placing particular importance on pacing and coordination. The relatively short distance should limit the gaps between the strongest squads, but the result could still influence the general classification before the race reaches France.

After the transfer across the Channel, racing resumes on Monday, August 2, with a 123km stage from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Calais.

The route follows the Opal Coast, where exposed roads could make crosswinds an important factor. The approach to Cap Blanc-Nez introduces climbing towards the finish, with the final ascent coming close enough to Calais to provide an opportunity for late attacks.

The same stretch of coastline featured during the men's Tour de France in 2022, when Wout van Aert attacked on the climb and held off the peloton to win alone in Calais.

The women's stage could produce a similarly aggressive finale, particularly if the wind makes it difficult for the sprinters' teams to control the race. Even without significant crosswinds, the short climbs along the coast should provide opportunities for riders looking to avoid a bunch finish.

Stage 5 takes the peloton 161km from Neufchâtel-en-Bray to Magnanville, with a difficult final 50km through the Vexin.

Six climbs are packed into the closing section, including the Côte de Baudemont and Côte d'Amenucourt, both of which feature average gradients of around 10%. The succession of short ascents offers little respite, and the road rises again towards the finish in Magnanville.

It is a stage that should suit the puncheurs, with the possibility of a reduced sprint or a late attack on the final climbs. The general classification contenders will also need to remain attentive, as the narrow roads and repeated changes in gradient could make positioning particularly important.

The sprinters should finally have a more straightforward opportunity on stage 6 from Orléans to Bourges.

At 138km with just 820 metres of elevation gain, it is comfortably the flattest stage of the 2027 Tour. The route crosses the relatively gentle terrain of the Sologne and Berry regions, with no categorised climbs to disrupt the rhythm of the peloton.

The final 900 metres rise slightly at approximately 2%, but that should not prevent a bunch sprint. It may be the last realistic opportunity for the pure sprinters before the race heads into the Massif Central.

The final part of the Tour begins on stage 7, when the peloton travels 155km from Nevers to La Loge des Gardes for the first summit finish of the race.

The opening 100km are relatively gentle, but the terrain becomes considerably more demanding towards the finish. The Côte du Point du Jour (2.1km at 8.6%) provides a sharp introduction to the final climbing before the road heads towards La Loge des Gardes.

The finishing ascent measures 6.7km at an average gradient of 7.1%, offering the first sustained uphill test for the general classification contenders.

La Loge des Gardes has featured in recent editions of Paris-Nice, with Tadej Pogačar winning there in 2023 and João Almeida taking victory in 2025. Its inclusion in the women's Tour gives the climbing specialists an opportunity to establish meaningful gaps before the final weekend.

The ascent is not among the longest in French cycling, but its gradients should still be demanding after seven consecutive days of racing. It could also provide the first indication of which riders are best equipped for the more difficult stages that follow.

Stage 8 from La Bourboule to Clermont-Ferrand presents a different kind of challenge, with 3,000 metres of climbing across 151km.

The route crosses the high ground of the Auvergne, with six categorised climbs spread throughout the stage. The Côte de la Stèle (5.4km at 5%) comes almost immediately after the start, setting the tone for a day with little sustained flat terrain.

The Col de la Croix Saint-Robert, at 1,451 metres, is the highest point of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes. Although none of the individual climbs are as severe as the final ascent on the Puy de Dôme the following day, the repeated efforts could make this one of the hardest stages to control.

The Côte de Charade (6km at 5.9%) is the final categorised climb, but the road continues to rise beyond its summit before descending towards Clermont-Ferrand.

The stage could provide an opportunity for a breakaway, although its position immediately before the final summit finish means the general classification teams may have their own ambitions.

The 2027 Tour de France Femmes concludes on Saturday, August 7, with a 170km stage from Clermont-Ferrand to the Puy de Dôme.

It is the longest stage of the race and, with 3,840 metres of climbing, also the most demanding in terms of elevation gain. The route through the Auvergne provides a difficult approach to the final ascent, ensuring that the riders will already have accumulated considerable fatigue before reaching the foot of the Puy de Dôme.

The climb is one of the most famous in Tour de France history, having provided the setting for the legendary duel between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in 1964.

After an absence of 35 years, the Puy de Dôme returned to the men's Tour in 2023, when Michael Woods claimed victory from the breakaway. In 2027, the climb will feature in the women's Tour for the first time.

The final four kilometres average approximately 12%, leaving little room for recovery after 170km and 3,840 metres of climbing. The steep gradients could produce significant time gaps in the final kilometres.

With the race finishing at the summit, there will be no opportunity to recover lost time. The Puy de Dôme will deliver the final verdict on the yellow jersey after three consecutive days of climbing in the Massif Central.