High-profile cycle event to hit region

Men’s Tour de France scheduled for local route

- SHARON LIPTROTT

For a few high-tempo kilometres, the world’s finest cyclists are to sweep through Dumfries and Galloway in full flight on Friday, July 2, next year.

Dumfries and Galloway is set to host the men’s Tour de France in 2027 as part of the opening stage of the race from Edinburgh to Carlisle.

Stage 1 will roll out from Edinburgh, heading south through Midlothian and the Scottish Borders before passing through approximately 13km of Dumfries and Galloway - entering just south of Newcastleton and exiting south of Canonbie - and finishing in Carlisle.

The Tour de France is expected to bring hugely significant opportunities for the South, with the event broadcast to over 190 countries with an estimated global TV audience of up to four billion people across the three-week race - and at least 12 million people watch each year at the roadside.