The 2027 Tour de France Femmes will launch in the UK with a 154km ride from Manchester to Sheffield that climbs nearly 3,000m and tackles the iconic Winnats Pass in the Peak District. Riders call the route "super brutal".

A shorter 85.7km sprint from Leeds to Manchester follows, while the finale features an 18km team time trial on London’s Pall Mall – the first time the women race a TT in the capital.

Movistar’s 19‑year‑old Cat Ferguson, a Skipton native, said the climbs could swing general‑classification battles. Organiser ASO labels the opening legs "one of the hardest Grand Depart stages ever seen".

Hosting both men's and women's Grand Depart stages in Britain marks a historic moment, with the UK already projected to attract 60% of the population to the roads and generate over £50m in costs, largely covered by government and local authorities.