A team time trial in central London in 2027 will mark a new chapter for the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift – and for women’s cycling as a commercial platform. The historic stage joins a UK Grand Départ shared with the men’s Tour for the first time outside France.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will stage the first team time trial (TTT) in the race’s history as its third stage on Aug. 1, 2027, in central London. Racing on a circuit of approximately 18 kilometers through the heart of the city, squads of seven will compete collectively against the clock, with a finish on The Mall. Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the French events company behind both the men’s and women’s editions of the Tour, confirmed the format and location in an official statement. The full London circuit will be disclosed later in the year.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
A format built for mass audiences
The TTT is one of cycling’s most visually accessible disciplines: a synchronized, all-in team effort conducted at maximum speed, without the tactical obscurity that can make road racing difficult to follow. Race Director Marion Rousse described it as “one of the most exciting and spectacular formats in cycling,” adding that the inaugural edition taking place in London was a particular source of pride. The choice of a major European capital – rather than a regional or rural stage – further underlines the race’s positioning as a broadcast and attendance event.
Two Grand Tours, one country
The 2027 edition will also be the first time both the Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have shared the same Grand Départ country outside France. The women’s race opens with two northern England stages – Leeds to central Manchester, then Manchester to Sheffield – before the London TTT on Aug. 1. ASO projects millions of spectators along the full route and has described the combined UK opening as the largest free-to-watch sporting event in UK history.
A commercial window the industry should not ignore
For brands and rights holders with exposure to cycling and women’s sport, the 2027 UK opening concentrates an unusually large activation opportunity. A London TTT – on an urban circuit with free public access and wide broadcast reach – offers conditions that are rare in professional road cycling. The simultaneous presence of both Grand Tours in the UK amplifies that scale, compressing peak audience numbers into a shared geographic and media window for sponsors, equipment suppliers and apparel brands alike.
The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has grown in commercial weight since its relaunch in 2022. The introduction of a new race format at one of the world’s most iconic venues is consistent with that trajectory and reinforces the race’s position as a leading platform for brands investing in women’s sport.
