By Harry Nara · Last updated
- Stage 1, Leeds to ManchesterFriday 30 July 2027
- Stage 2, Manchester to SheffieldSaturday 31 July 2027
- Where
- Whitehall to The Mall
- Tickets
- Free
- Time of year
- August
- Dates
- A one-off in this city, not held here every year
Stage 3 is an 18km team time trial from Whitehall to The Mall. Road-closure times and maps are due on the Grand Départ GB website in January. This is a one-off in London, and the page will be retired after the stage.
We may earn a small commission from bookings made through this link. Prices stay the same for you.
The Tour de France Femmes starts in Britain, and its third stage is a team time trial through central London: about 18 kilometres from Whitehall, out to Hyde Park, through the West End and the City to the Tower, and back along the river to a finish on The Mall. Watching from the pavement is free. Teams set off one after another, so the whole course is in use for most of the race, and the organisers publish road-closure times and maps in January.
What Tour de France Femmes actually is
The Tour de France Femmes is the women’s Tour, run by the same organisers as the men’s race over nine stages each summer. This edition opens with three days in England, from Leeds to Manchester, Manchester to Sheffield and then London, before the race crosses to the French coast. It is the first time both Tours have started in the same country outside France; the men leave Edinburgh earlier in July.
The London stage is the first team time trial the women’s race has held. Teams of seven ride together against the clock, setting off at intervals, so instead of a bunch flashing past once, the teams come by one after another for most of the race.
It is a one-off for London, and the organisers expect hundreds of thousands of spectators along a route that runs close to Parliament, the London Eye and Tower Bridge. For a visitor already in town, it is a free chance to see the best riders in the world at full speed in front of the city’s best-known views.
Where to watch Tour de France Femmes
- The Mall. The finish, between Buckingham Palace and Admiralty Arch, with the line by Canada Gate beside Green Park. It will fill first.
- Hyde Park. The route loops west along South Carriage Drive and back past the Serpentine, and the park leaves far more room to stand than the streets of the City.
- The City. Fleet Street, St Paul’s and Cheapside, then down to the Tower of London and Tower Bridge before the turn back along Upper Thames Street, where narrow old streets bring the teams close.
- The Embankment. In the closing kilometres the course runs through the Blackfriars Underpass and along the Victoria Embankment towards Westminster, with the start nearby on Whitehall.
Tickets and what it costs
There are no tickets for the roadside. The race runs on public streets, and in most places only vehicles are kept off them, so getting to the barrier early is the only cost.
The organising committee, Grand Départ GB, takes registrations of interest for hospitality and for fan information on its website, letourgb.com.
Official information and booking: www.letourgb.com/tdffazroutes/stage-3
Getting there
Roads close along the whole route for the day, and the organisers will publish exact timings and maps of the streets affected in January. Building starts overnight on the Saturday, and everything should be cleared in the early hours of Monday, before the rush hour.
The organisers expect most Underground stations to stay open and will publish a list of any that close nearer the race. Charing Cross, Embankment, Westminster, St James’s Park and Green Park all sit close to the start or the finish, but check that list before counting on any of them.
Leave the car and the taxi out of the plan. Most restrictions apply to vehicles rather than people on foot, so walking between viewing points is the easier way to move.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Expecting a single flash of riders
In a team time trial the teams start at intervals, so the racing goes on along the whole course for most of the day. There is no need to rush to one spot for one moment.
Driving into the centre
Roads close along the entire route, with diversions around it. Come in on the Underground.
Trusting a preview map
The full route was revealed with the rest of the race in October, and closure maps follow in January. Use the organisers’ own site rather than an article written before either.
Other London events
Frequently asked questions
When is the Tour de France Femmes in London?
On the Sunday that ends the race’s British opening weekend, as its third stage. The date is in the card at the top of the page.
What is the London route of the Tour de France Femmes?
About 18 kilometres from Whitehall to The Mall, by way of Hyde Park, Piccadilly, the Strand, Fleet Street, St Paul’s, the Tower of London and the Victoria Embankment.
Is the Tour de France Femmes free to watch in London?
Yes. It runs on public streets, and there are no tickets for the roadside.
Which roads will close for the London stage?
Roads along the whole route, for the day. The organisers publish exact timings and maps on the Grand Départ GB website in January.
Will the Tube run on race day?
The organisers expect most Underground stations to stay open, and will publish a list of any closures nearer the race.
Sources
- Grand Départ GB, Tour de France Femmes stage 3, London (route map)
- Grand Départ GB, London stage FAQs for residents and businesses
- Tour de France Femmes, overall route
- UK Sport, London to host the first Tour de France Femmes team time trial
Dates on this page are checked against the organiser’s own listing and confirmed through 2027. Written and maintained by Harry Nara.