Route details announced for the Leeds Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2027

New details have been revealed about the part that Leeds communities will play in next year’s Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

The city was confirmed in January as the host location for the start of stage one of the first ever visit to Britain by the world’s biggest women’s professional cycle race.

Today organisers have now given people an overview of the route that will be used for the event in Leeds on July 30 next year.

From a starting point on the Headrow, riders will undertake a partial loop of the city centre before striking out bound for Headingley.

After passing Headingley Stadium, they will travel down to Kirkstall and then towards Bramley.

From there, they will go south via Gamble Hill and Farnley before heading west to Drighlington and, ultimately, crossing into Kirklees and over the Pennines to Manchester.

Full details of the roads involved – together with information on temporary closures and traffic restrictions – will be announced in due course.

Next year’s event 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 into the city centre to cheer the riders on their way during the Tour de France’s Grand Départ in 2014, with another two million spectators lining the rest of the race’s Yorkshire route.

Coun James Lewis, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “We might be more than a year away from welcoming the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift to Leeds, but there is already a good deal of excitement building around the event.

“Today’s route announcement will hopefully whet people’s appetites still further and get them thinking about where in the city they will be watching the race.

“We recognise that some residents and businesses will now have questions about how an occasion of this size could impact local communities on the day.

“They can be assured that we will be working hard alongside the race organisers to minimise any disruption and will also make every effort to keep people fully informed as plans for the event continue to take shape.”

Marion Rousse, race director of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, said: “The United Kingdom has already shown its passion for the Tour, and these stages will once again showcase the energy of the crowds, the beauty of the landscapes and the growing importance of women’s cycling on the world stage.”

A report by Leeds City Council and UK Sport showed the 2014 Grand Départ boosted Yorkshire’s economy by more than £100m, with further long-term benefits predicted as a result of increased tourism, profile and trade deals.

The Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift are organised by French company ASO, with delivery of the 2027 Grand Départs being led by Grand Départ GB and British Cycling.