Details of the route taken by riders competing in 2027's iconic Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been revealed and it will see some of the best cyclists in the world pass through Middleton.
The start and finish points of the historic first-ever visit of the women's race to Britain were revealed in January 2026, with Manchester announced as host city for both the Stage One finish on Friday, 30 July 2027 and the Stage Two start on Saturday, 31 July 2027.
The peleton in 2025. Photo courtesy of A.S.O and Pauline Ballet.
Full routes have now been revealed for the 2 stages of the 2027 Grand Départ as the race leaves host city Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester, where it will weave its way through a 5 kilometre stretch of the Rochdale borough including the centre of Middleton, and then into Manchester, before going back out of the city through Stockport and Derbyshire to the finish in Sheffield.
‘we’re thrilled to be a part of it’
The stages form the opening chapter of a historic moment for the sport as 2027 sees both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift both begin in the UK - the first time both Grand Départs have taken place in the same country outside France.
Julie Murphy, interim chief executive at Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“It’s fabulous news that the Tour de France Femmes will pass through our borough in 2027. It’s one of the world’s most iconic sporting events and hosting part of the route is something our communities will be very excited about. There’s a real passion for cycling here and we’ve hosted many prestigious races over the years, including the Tour de France back in 2014, with crowds of over 30,000. Major events like this bring so much excitement, inspire more people to get active and create lasting social impact by engaging local communities. We’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
In another historic first for the race, London will also play host a landmark moment in women's cycling with the first-ever team time trial in the history of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift taking place on the streets of capital. It will see the world's best riders racing together against the clock in their 7-rider teams round a central London circuit of approximately 18-kilometres, passing many of the capital's popular landmarks and culminating in a spectacular finish on The Mall.
Lorena Wiebes wins in Poitiers. Photo courtesy of A.S.O and Thomas Maheux.
Hosting both Tours in the UK in 2027 is expected to inspire participation at every level, and together with a special social impact programme, Joy, which will run alongside the Tours, is forecast to deliver a lasting impact beyond 2027.
Focused on improving health and wellbeing, skills development and connecting communities, Joy will create an opportunity for young people to develop and showcase their skills, whilst bringing together community groups to showcase and celebrate their local area.
The council will be working alongside Manchester City Council and our partners in Oldham and Stockport, as well as Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), British Cycling and others to make sure the Tour de France Femmes delivers a lasting impact.
Tour de France Femmes was greeted by big crowds in 2025. Photo courtesy of A.S.O and Pauline Ballet.
A volunteer programme will also offer hundreds of people from Greater Manchester and thousands more across the country, the chance to be part of these historic sporting events - which together are set to be the largest free-to-watch sporting event in UK history - and to contribute to their success.
Dame Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said:
“Greater Manchester hosting the opening stages of the Tour de France Femmes is a huge opportunity for everyone who lives, works and will visit here during that time, and we are expecting excitement to grow even further, especially now we know the route the Grand Départ will take through our city-region. Seeing the competitors of the world’s biggest women’s cycling race right up close, as they weave their way through Manchester, Stockport, Rochdale and Oldham, will be incredibly inspiring for people of all ages and the benefits to local communities and future generations of riders will be far reaching. Hosting both a finish and a start means that everyone visiting the city centre will have an incredible opportunity to be close at hand to the pre and post-race action too, something that is truly unique in the sport of cycling.”
Jon Dutton, Chief Executive, British Cycling, said:
“This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s cycling in Great Britain and having two stages on our doorstep here in Greater Manchester makes it even more exciting, especially now we can reveal the towns and villages through which the race route will pass in each of the boroughs. The 2027 Grand Départ will be a historic national moment, capturing the attention of the whole country and unlocking lasting change for our communities. Through the JOY programme – our collective, game-changing social impact programme – we want to ensure that this moment inspires more girls and women to discover the joy of cycling and to help communities across Greater Manchester and the whole of Britain to get active.”
The TTDFF 2027 will see cyclists make their way through Oldham and Rochdale into Manchester city centre for the Stage One Finish on Friday, 30 July 2027, before the Stage Two depart from Manchester city centre the next day, with cyclists following a route that leaves the city centre, heading through south Manchester and Stockport, on the way to the Stage Two finish in Sheffield.
Route details - Stage one: Leeds to Manchester, through Middleton, Rochdale
Starting from the Headrow Leeds city centre on Friday, 30 July 2027, the first ever Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift stage to be held in Britain will pass through Headingley and the west of the city, crossing into Kirklees and passing through Heckmondwike and Mirfield, and tackling the Côte de Kirkheaton (1.7km at 7.5 per cent), to reach Huddersfield.
The 85.7-kilometre (53.2 miles) route then drops south to cross the Pennines, taking in the Queen of the Mountains climb of Côte de Meltham (3.2km at 8.2 per cent) in the north of the Peak District National Park before crossing into Oldham on the A635 and descending alongside Dove Stone Reservoir, through Greenfield and Uppermill.
Riders will then tackle the Côte de Delph (2.1km at 6.3 per cent) up to Grains Bar, which has featured in recent editions of both the men’s and women’s Tour of Britain, with just over 20 kilometres of racing remaining. The tough nature of the climb here and its proximity to the finish could prove decisive in terms of who goes on to claim the opening stage win in Manchester city centre.
The route then circles the north of Greater Manchester, running alongside Chadderton Hall Park and into Rochdale, passing through the centre of Middleton, before turning south and running down Middleton Road, alongside Manchester's Heaton Park and into Manchester.
Sweeping through Cheetham Hill on Bury Old Road, the final kilometres of the stage will see riders racing into the city centre, past the AO Arena and Manchester Cathedral, to line-up for what is sure to be a thrilling stage finish on Deansgate.
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