Tour de France to Start in Edinburgh, Scotland, Next Year

The Tour de France, the world's best-known multi-day road cycling race, will start next year in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The city lies further north than any previous starting point, surpassing Copenhagen, the Danish capital, which hosted the opening in 2022.

After the start in Edinburgh, the second stage is set to finish in Liverpool, and the third in Cardiff, a city in Wales. From there the riders will move on to France. This year's race began in Barcelona, in Catalonia, which was the southernmost start to date.

Starts outside France

The race dates back to 1903 and became an annual tradition that only the First and Second World Wars managed to interrupt. It first started outside France in 1954, in Amsterdam. Four years later Brussels hosted the opening, and in 1965 the German city of Cologne did so. The first start outside continental Europe came in 1998 in Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

It will be the third time the race begins on British territory. It previously started in London in 2007 and in Leeds in 2014.

Dominant figure of recent years

Over the past seven years the Tour de France has been dominated by Slovenian Tadej Pogačar, who has won five times, including the last three editions in a row. His only rival in that period has been Dane Jonas Vingegaard, who took two titles.

Five riders have won the race five times. The most recent was Spain's Miguel Indurain, who did so from 1991 to 1995. Before him, five victories were achieved by the French riders Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, as well as Belgium's Eddy Merckx.