Tour de France return to Britain in 2027 sees likely route coming through Preston

The Tour de France coming through Yorkshire in 2014 Pic: Kim Greaves

Preston may see the British leg of the Tour de France pass through in two years time.

Confirmed as returning to our soil for a fifth time ‘The Grande Boucle’ is due to start in Edinburgh.

Cyclist Magazine is reporting on a likely route after organisers confirmed it would make its way over three stages which will include Wales as part of a ‘Tri-Nations’ approach.

Read more: Preston dates for your diary 2025

The route south is understood as being likely to include the Lake District and a finish in Manchester – leaving the route being through Preston and the surrounding area as a logical part of a second-leg of ‘the Grande Depart’.

UK Sport, Tour de France and British Cycling are understood to be working to firm up plans which will be announced in Autumn this year.

The proposed route maps from Ewan Wilson in Cyclist Magazine show the tour making its way into the city along the A6 and then going out through Hoghton and then across the West Pennine Moors towards Manchester.

Produced by Cyclist Magazine this potential route map shows the Tour coming through Preston Pic: Cyclist Magazine

Blog Preston has approached Preston City Council and Lancashire County Council for comment – including asking the county council whether the city’s road network would be suitable for use by the Tour de France.

A spokesperson for Lancashire County Council said: “We worked closely with the Tour de France organisers in 2014 when parts of our network were affected by it passing close to our border.

“The organisers have not yet formally announced the route for the 2027 Tour de France.

“If in the future they do wish to utilise part of the Lancashire for the 2027 event, we would be pleased to discuss this further with them.”

The Tour de France first visited Britain with an English stage in 1974 in Plymouth, twenty years later the opening of the Channel Tunnel was marked with a Brighton and Portsmouth stage.

In 2007 there was a London stage and it then came to Yorkshire in 2014.

Prince Harry, the Princess of Wales and Prince of Wales pictured at the podium in 2014 Pic: Kim Greaves

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