Council accepts grant for Tour de France Femmes stage

A £2.4m grant has been officially accepted by Derbyshire County Council to fund plans to host a stage of the Tour de France Femmes in 2027.

The world's top female cyclists are due to race along roads such as Winnats Pass and Snake Pass as part of stage two of the event, which runs between Manchester and Sheffield on 31 July.

The route includes New Mills, Whaley Bridge, Buxton, Tideswell, Bradwell, Castleton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Hayfield and Glossop, before crossing Snake Pass towards Sheffield, the authority said.

It said the grant from the East Midlands Combined County Authority would help pay for traffic management, road resurfacing, operational requirements and safety measures.

The county council said accepting the grant was the next step towards "formally securing our role as a host authority for the event".

The funding is subject to final approvals and a final business case being submitted, it added.

Council leader Alan Graves said: "The event presents a major opportunity to support tourism, bring visitors into our towns and villages and inspire more people to get involved in cycling and physical activity.

"We know an event of this scale will require road closures and careful planning.

"Residents, businesses and communities will be kept informed as plans develop over the coming months and we look forward to working with them to make this a memorable occasion for Derbyshire."

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