UK To Bid For 2026 Tour De France Grand Départ
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed that £30 million has been allocated to prepare bids for the opening stages of the 2026 Tour de France Grand Départ and the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Should the bid be successful, it will mark the third time the race has started in the UK. The Tour started in London in 2007 and in Yorkshire in 2014.
British Cycling welcomed the news of the bid for the 2026 Grand Départ, with the governing body’s CEO, Brian Facer, saying: “The 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire was an unforgettable celebration of our sport and is still talked about to this day, inspiring a new generation of cyclists.
“The Tour de France will bring significant economic benefit and investment to our communities, rapturous crowds on the roadside and a tangible legacy to get even more people riding more often throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
“We now look forward to working alongside the UK Government, devolved administrations and UK Sport to deliver a compelling vision for the 2026 Grand Depart” he added.
The bid deadline for the 2026 Tour de France Grand Depart and 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup falls early next year, and an additional £11 million is also being provided to back a bid for the UK and Ireland to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
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