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Organisers have announced a nine-stage 2027 Tour de France Femmes route from Leeds to Puy de Dôme, with a London team time trial and a final mountain stage. The finish could be affected by strict access limits on the protected volcano, while removing the individual time trial may reduce opportunities for gaps in the general classification.
Organisers have revealed a nine-stage route for the 2027 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, starting in Leeds and ending on Puy de Dôme, but access restrictions at the protected summit could limit crowds at the race’s decisive stage. The route also replaces an individual time trial with an 18-kilometre team time trial in London, a change that may affect how gaps develop in the general classification.
The route was presented at the Palais des Congrès in Paris on Thursday. Its early highlights include a stage from Leeds to Sheffield featuring seven categorised climbs, among them Winnats Pass and Snake Pass, and the following day’s London team time trial, which passes landmarks including Big Ben, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Mall.
The final stage is scheduled to cover 170 kilometres with 3,840 metres of climbing, finishing on Puy de Dôme. It is expected to be the route’s only true mountain stage and the day the yellow jersey is decided. The finish road is narrow and subject to access restrictions because the area is protected; in 2023, spectators were barred from the summit when the men’s Tour returned there.
Race director Marion Rousse said organisers are discussing spectator access with the Puy de Dôme department. She said they are looking at admitting between 3,000 and 4,000 people at the summit for the finish and podium ceremony. The route also includes a first uphill finish at La Loge des Gardes on stage seven, while stage five is expected to offer a Classics-style test.
Crowds and the General Classification
The route’s final climb could determine the overall winner, so limits on who can reach the summit matter both to spectators and to the atmosphere around the race’s most consequential stage. The 2023 men’s Tour finish showed that access restrictions can leave the upper climb without roadside fans. The planned capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 spectators would allow some fans at the top, but it remains far below the crowds commonly seen on major Tour climbs.
The missing individual time trial also changes the route’s competitive balance. This year’s individual time trial in Dijon reshaped the standings: Marlen Reusser moved into yellow, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot lost ground, and Demi Vollering and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney were left chasing. A team time trial can create differences too, but it measures collective strength rather than each rider’s individual effort. The route could consequently place more weight on the road stages and the Puy de Dôme finale.
That matters to readers following the overall contest because the final outcome may depend on how contenders use the hilly stages before the last day, not solely on a long sequence of famous Alpine or Pyrenean climbs. Whether the race produces a close finish is still unknown.
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A Different Route to the Summit
Previous editions have built their decisive mountain stages around well-known climbs, including the Col du Tourmalet in 2023, Alpe d’Huez in 2024, the Col de la Madeleine in 2025 and Mont Ventoux in 2026. For 2027, the route avoids both the Alps and the Pyrenees and instead finishes on the volcanic Puy de Dôme, which rises above Clermont-Ferrand.
The summit road’s restrictions are tied to protection of the site. When the men’s race returned to the climb in 2023 after a 35-year absence, spectators were not permitted on the volcano, and media access required advance approval. The women’s race is planned with a limited summit audience, though the precise arrangements have not been settled.
The London team time trial is another prominent feature of the route. Its central course is designed to showcase the city’s landmarks, while the decision to omit an individual time trial means the 2027 race will not have the same kind of solo test that influenced the 2026 standings.
“If you look closely, it’s a Classic every day.”
— Marion Rousse, Tour de France Femmes race director
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Summit Access Still Under Discussion
The proposed summit capacity is not a confirmed final arrangement. Rousse said organisers are discussing access with the Puy de Dôme department, and details of how spectators would be admitted have not been announced. It is also unclear how many fans will be able to watch from other points along the climb, or what restrictions will apply on race day.
The route is confirmed, but the eventual shape of the general-classification contest is not. The 170-kilometre final stage may be decisive, yet the absence of an individual time trial and the mix of earlier stages make it too soon to predict whether the race will remain close until the final climb.
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Finalise Access and Race Plans
Organisers and the Puy de Dôme department are expected to continue discussions about spectator access and summit arrangements before the race in summer 2027. The precise crowd limit and entry procedures remain to be confirmed.
As the event approaches, teams will assess the full route and how its stages suit their riders. The key competitive test is likely to be the final climb, but the Leeds-to-Sheffield stage, London team time trial and La Loge des Gardes finish could all shape the standings before the race reaches Puy de Dôme.
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Key Questions
Where will the 2027 Tour de France Femmes start and finish?
The nine-stage race is set to start in Leeds and finish on Puy de Dôme in France.
How difficult is the final stage?
The final stage is planned to cover 170 kilometres and 3,840 metres of climbing. It is expected to be the route’s only true mountain stage.
Will spectators be allowed at the Puy de Dôme summit?
Organisers are discussing access with the local department. Marion Rousse said they are considering a summit audience of 3,000 to 4,000 people, but the arrangement has not been confirmed.
Why is there no individual time trial?
The announced route includes an 18-kilometre team time trial in London instead. Reusser said a team event differs from an individual time trial in how it creates gaps in the general classification.
Source: rss
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