The countdown is on for the arrival of the world’s most famous cycle race with one expert predicting the Tour de France will be massive for Cumbria not only in the run up to the event but in the years that follow.
Stage two travels from Keswick on Saturday July 3 2027 through the Lake District and Lancashire to finish on The Strand in Liverpool the same day.
Professor Philip Leigh is currently senior knowledge exchange manager at the University of Cumbria, but has a background in cycling at the highest level, not just racing but also managing teams on the international stage.
“It’s astonishing news and well received and very timely,” Prof Leigh told the Northern Lights podcast from Business Crack.
“It is the world’s biggest bike race and it’s also the world’s biggest free-to-view event in the fact that you can come and stand on the roadside.
“There’s no cost, no charge – you can just come and see the world’s best cyclists and ride in this iconic event. We’re very fortunate that we’ve got two days in Cumbria in Carlisle and Keswick so the impact and the potential legacy of that is massive.”
Professor Leigh has worked on events such as the Tour of Britain and World Championships and so knows better than most what impact the preparation and execution of a major sporting event can mean for an area.
The Tour de Yorkshire is credited with boosting tourism across the Pennines.
Even during the next 12 months, opportunities for cyclists to ride the same route that le Tour will follow could lead to a boost for tourism in Cumbria. It’s something Prof Leigh has already experience of during the last visit of the tour to the north of England.
“I did a corporate event in Yorkshire for the stage finish in Harrogate in 2014, prior to the Tour de France coming and about 100 people who wanted to finish on the finish that the Tour de France was going to, the actual line, and we did about a 90-mile loop, following the route exactly that it was going to take,” Prof Leigh recalls.
“So, things like this can and I’m sure will happen, and there’s a huge opportunity for schools to get involved and youngsters planning on what might happen, designing posters, being out there on the day and they really get engaged. Hopefully that enthuses the next generation of cyclists.”
The countdown may be underway but while benefits could be seen well in advance.
“It’s going to put Cumbria and our cities and towns on a global stage. And I think the visitor opportunities afterwards will be huge,” Prof Leigh said.
