Stage 1 of the 2027 Tour de France Femmes runs 86 km from Leeds to Manchester on Friday, July 30, the shortest road stage of the race and the first ever held in Britain. ASO lists it as flat, with about 1,400 meters of climbing.
The race starts on the Headrow in Leeds, passes through Heckmondwike, Mirfield and Huddersfield, crosses the Pennines and finishes on Deansgate in Manchester. Domestique Cycling lists three climbs in the finale: the Côte de Kirkheaton (1.7 km at 7.5 percent), the Côte de Meltham (3.2 km at 8.4 percent) and the Côte de Delph (2.1 km at 6.3 percent).
A sprinter can win this stage, but the climbs mean the first yellow jersey will not necessarily go to one. Lorena Wiebes won the first two stages of the 2026 race. The Headrow was also the start of the men’s Grand Départ in 2014, when Marcel Kittel won the opening stage to Harrogate.