The British Cycling governing body has named Pitch, the UK-based sports marketing agency, as lead creative agency to promote the 2027 Grands Départ, the opening stages of cycling’s iconic Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes races.
British Cycling is delivering the events in partnership with race organizer Amaury Sport Organization (ASO), as well as the regional governments of England, Scotland, and Wales, having been announced as the host of next year’s events in March 2025.
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As lead creative agency, Pitch will work alongside British Cycling’s Grand Depart GB team and communications agency Spectacle to create an integrated multi-channel cycling awareness campaign that will run across the UK from early next year.
The aim will be to encourage millions of spectators to participate in cycling across Scotland, England, and Wales and promote JOY, the Grand Departs’ social impact programme.
Esha Glen, marketing lead for Grand Départ GB 2027, said, “Following a highly competitive pitch process, we are delighted to be working with Pitch to bring to life their exciting vision for the promotion of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift next year.
“Pitch’s team really captured the sense of excitement we want to create to engage and inspire the broadest possible audiences. We want to see as many fans on the roads as possible and, with Pitch’s help, to make 2027 the summer of cycling.”
The UK will be the first nation outside France to host the starts of both 4race in the same year, with the women’s race visiting for the first time.
The men’s Grand Depart will begin in Edinburgh, Scotland, before continuing through the UK and ending in Carlisle, England, while the women’s equivalent will be held entirely in England, starting in Leeds and ending in London.
The UK has hosted the Grand Depart twice, in London in 2007 and most recently in Yorkshire in 2014. Only the Netherlands (6), Belgium (5), and Germany (4) will have hosted the Grand Depart outside of France more than the UK, while Spain is on par after hosting for a third time this year.
A UK Sport report revealed that the 2014 Grand Depart in Yorkshire generated “approximately £130 million [$204 million at the time]” for the host region’s economy, and the body is targeting a similar number for the 2027 event.
Henry Chappell, chief executive of Pitch Marketing Group, said, “Britain has an amazing track record of staging the world’s biggest sporting events, and we are incredibly thrilled to be playing a part in the return of the Tour de France to the UK.
“As well as being an event that will create memorable moments for millions of spectators, it is a great opportunity to promote the sport of cycling to younger audiences.”
In the UK, the rights to cycling’s elite 'Grand Tours', which include the Tour de France, are held exclusively by media giant Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and disseminated through its TNT Sports pay-TV channels and its Discovery+ OTT Streaming service.
Channel 4, and later ITV, have been the UK free-to-air broadcasters of that prestigious race for the last few decades.
Given that the 2027 event is now revealed to be taking place in the UK, there is hope that a free-to-air sub-licensing deal may now be agreed to keep UK distribution of at least the UK-staged legs of the race open, at least in some form.
