Mike O'Connor
The 2027 Tour de France Femmes will conclude atop the iconic Puy de Dôme volcano, with organisers unveiling a nine-stage route featuring a British Grand Départ, the race’s first team time trial and a demanding final three days in France.
The race will run from July 30 to August 7, beginning in Leeds before heading through Manchester and Sheffield, then crossing the Channel for six stages in France.
While the route does not feature the high mountains the likes of the Alps or Pyrenees, or even an individual time trial as seen in previous editions, the combination of short, steep climbs and a decisive final stage promises an open contest for the yellow jersey.
Race director Marion Rousse said the organisers had sought another iconic climb to decide the race.
“Every year, we try to find a mountain that has an iconic place in Tour history,” Rousse told AFP.
The final stage from Clermont-Ferrand to the Puy de Dôme will cover more than 170km, making it the longest of the race, with approximately 3,800m of climbing. The decisive ascent measures 11.3km at an average gradient of 7.8 per cent, with the final 4km averaging more than 12 per cent.
“With its final 4 kilometres at more than 12%, we know that anything could still happen on that last climb,” Rousse said.
The volcanic summit has a long association with the men’s Tour de France, including the famous 1964 battle between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor. It returned to the men’s race in 2023 after a 35-year absence, when Canada’s Michael Woods claimed the stage victory.
The 2027 edition will mark the first time the women’s peloton has raced to the summit in the Tour de France Femmes.
Historic team time trial in London
The British opening will introduce another first, with an 18km team time trial through central London on August 1, finishing on The Mall.
It will be the first team time trial in the history of the modern Tour de France Femmes, adding a tactical dimension to the general classification battle before the race reaches France.
Speaking about the course on the Team Visma | Lease a Bike website, sports director Jos van Emden welcomed the inclusion, describing the discipline as an important part of the Tour’s identity.
“You have to master every discipline if you want to win the Tour. This will be another new challenge,” he said.
The opening stage will cover approximately 86km from Leeds to Manchester, while stage two will take the peloton 154km from Manchester to Sheffield, featuring nearly 3,000m of climbing and ascents including Winnats Pass and Snake Pass.
This means the general classification could start taking shape well before the race reaches France.
After the London time trial, the race will move to northern France, with stages offering opportunities for sprinters and Classics specialists before the decisive climbing begins.
A demanding finish
The final three stages are expected to determine the general classification.
Stage seven features a summit finish at La Loge des Gardes, with a 6.7km climb averaging 7.1 per cent. The following day includes six categorised climbs on the way from La Bourboule to Clermont-Ferrand, setting up the final showdown at the Puy de Dôme.
2027 Tour de France Femmes at a glance
- Dates: July 30 to August 7, 2027
- Stages: Nine
- Distance: 1,156km
- Total climbing: Approximately 17,665m
- Grand Départ: Leeds, England
- Key feature: First team time trial in the modern Tour de France Femmes, an 18km course through central London
- Queen stage: Stage nine, a 170km ride from Clermont-Ferrand to the Puy de Dôme
- Decisive climb: Puy de Dôme, 11.3km at an average gradient of 7.8 per cent, with the final 4km averaging more than 12 per cent
- Defending champion: Demi Vollering (2026)
Mike O’Connor – A keen cyclist, runner and photographer, Mike O’Connor is the Editor of Bicycling Australia. He manages the BA website and social media, and loves promoting the achievements of Australian cyclists.
