2027 Tour de France to favour time-trial specialists, Femmes finale set for Puy de Dome

PARIS, Oct 22 : The 2027 Tour de France will favour time-trial specialists with 71 km of individual time trials, while the Tour de France Femmes will conclude on the Puy de Dome, organisers said on Thursday.

The men's Grand Depart will take place in Britain, with three opening stages, starting in Edinburgh, before the race, which runs from July 2 to 25, returns to France for stage four in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin.

The 114th edition of cycling's Grande Boucle (Great Loop) puts the spotlight on individual efforts, with two key time-trial stages.

Stage seven, a 38-km route between Blois and Chambord, and stage 16, a 33-km course around Toulouse, will deliver the highest combined time-trial distance since 2012.

"There was a desire to rebalance the race in favour of the rouleurs," Tour director Christian Prudhomme said, referring to riders who excel on flat terrain in time trials.

The route appears well-suited to Belgium's four-times reigning world time-trial champion Remco Evenepoel.

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar will remain the huge favourite as he aims to win a record sixth Tour de France and fourth in a row as the route does not affect the chances of the best rider in the world, who crashed at the Vuelta a Espana two months ago.

The Pyrenees will be pivotal in the fight for the yellow jersey, with two demanding stages scheduled just days before the finale in Paris.

Stage 18 will take riders over 5,400 metres of climbing from Pau to a summit finish on the Col du Portet, via the legendary Col du Tourmalet. The following day's stage offers 160 km of challenging terrain featuring 4,300 metres of vertical gain between Hasparren and Laruns.

"It's terrain where everything can change, where the table can be turned," Prudhomme added.

The Grand