An Edinburgh Member of Parliament has expressed strong support for the possibility of the Scottish capital hosting the Grand Départ of the 2027 Tour de France.
Dr. Scott Arthur, the Labour MP for Edinburgh South West, a passionate cyclist and advocate for active travel, described the prospect of bringing the world’s most famous cycling event to Scotland as “amazing.” His remarks follow recent reports suggesting that Edinburgh is being considered as the starting point for the prestigious race, with the BBC indicating that the city is “under consideration” for the 2027 Grand Départ.
“It’s a great place to start,” Arthur told Cycling Weekly. “What I’d be interested in is the route through and around the city, so we’ll see where that goes.”
UK Sport, the government body responsible for funding sports initiatives, also confirmed its desire to bring the Tour back to the UK. The race has previously started in the UK, with Yorkshire hosting the Grand Départ in 2014 and London in 2007.
Although Glasgow successfully hosted the inaugural ‘Super Worlds’ UCI World Championships in 2023, Scotland has never been the location for the Tour’s opening stage. When asked whether he supported Edinburgh’s potential bid for the 2027 Grand Départ, Arthur’s response was clear: “Absolutely.”
“The first time in Scotland would be amazing, and our friends in Glasgow will be really annoyed at us taking the stage, which is even better,” he joked. “Edinburgh is a fantastic city, and I’m always proud that people come from all over the world to visit, and this is part of that. It comes slightly before the peak summer period, which is great for the city economy.”
Arthur also noted that Edinburgh has significant aspirations for promoting cycling for everyday use. However, he pointed out that recent initiatives have been deprioritized. He hopes that hosting the Tour de France could reignite interest in cycling infrastructure and policies in the city.
Cycling Weekly reached out to both British Cycling and Scottish Cycling for comments on the potential 2027 Grand Départ in Edinburgh, but both organizations described the reports as “speculative.” British Cycling did confirm, however, that it is supporting ongoing discussions about bringing the race to the UK.
“The Tour de France does not have a formal bid process or deadline,” said British Cycling in a statement. “Any decisions on future international hosts of the Grand Départ are at the sole discretion of ASO, the race organiser.”
ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France, has not publicly addressed the speculation regarding a UK Grand Départ.
The most recent Tour de France to take place in the UK occurred in 2014 when the race began in Leeds. According to The Yorkshire Post, Leeds is now set to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France Femmes in 2027.
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