PARIS: Britain will host the Grand Départ of both the Tour de France and the women’s version of the race in 2027, organizers said Wednesday.
It will be the 28th time that the Tour de France starts from a foreign country, and the first time since 2014 — when the Tour began in the Yorkshire region — that Britain hosts the start of cycling’s biggest race. The 2007 Tour started in London.
For the Tour de France Femmes, it will be the first time holding stages in Britain, with the start location to be announced later.
The men’s and women’s races will take place on different dates.
Full details of the route have yet to be announced but organizers revealed that the men’s Tour de France will begin in Edinburgh, Scotland. There will be stages in England and Wales, too.
When the Tour departed from Yorkshire, the event drew enormous crowds.
“The Tour de France and the UK share a rich history, and I am delighted to bring the Grand Départ to the country in 2027,” said Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director. “Britain has always welcomed the Tour with enthusiasm and pride, and this collaboration across England, Scotland, and Wales promises to make the event even more special.”
Three British riders have won the Tour — Bradley Wiggins in 2012, four-time champion Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas.
Last year’s Grand Depart took place in Florence, Italy, with the 2026 race due to start in Barcelona, Spain.
This year’s race will start from the northern French city of Lille.
It will be the second start of the women’s race outside France following the Grand Départ in the Netherlands in 2024, organizers said.
The Tour de France is returning to the UK in 2027 with a start from Edinburgh
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The Tour de France is returning to the UK in 2027 with a start from Edinburgh
- It will be the 28th time that the Tour de France starts from a foreign country
- For the Tour de France Femmes, it will be the first time holding stages in Britain, with the start location to be announced later
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses. The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas. The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports. “We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns. The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
