Blackburn’s Tour de France route brings a free roadside race

Beehive Sports Desk 2026-10-22 13:11 2 min read

A lone cyclist riding on a scenic paved road with mountains in the background.

The Tour de France will pass along public roads through Blackburn with Darwen on Saturday 3 July 2027. Spectators can watch for free, with no booking required; the route is the venue, running from Brownhill through Blackburn and on to Belmont. A start time and further viewing arrangements have not yet been provided.

The borough is on Stage 2, a 223km ride from Keswick to Liverpool. For local residents, the published route gives a way to identify which part of the borough the race will cross, including a King of the Mountains sprint at the Côte de Belmont. Blackburn with Darwen Council says it will announce more details and opportunities to get involved as they become available.

Where the route passes through the borough

Riders will enter at Brownhill and travel along Whalley New Road towards Blackburn town centre, passing Blackburn Cathedral and Wainwright Bridge. They will turn just before Ewood Park, climb Livesey Branch Road to Heys Lane, then continue through Tockholes.

From Tockholes, the route descends into Belmont. Riders will turn onto Rivington Road for the climb to the Côte de Belmont, where the King of the Mountains sprint is scheduled. This gives spectators a specific point to look for on the route, while the wider passage links the town centre with villages and countryside across the borough.

Blackburn’s Tour de France route brings a free roadside race

The route maps have been released for residents to explore. Following the route from Brownhill to Belmont can help you identify a stretch that suits where you plan to watch; the source does not identify designated viewing points or provide timings for individual locations.

What spectators can plan now

The confirmed event date is Saturday 3 July 2027, and the venue is public roads through Blackburn with Darwen, including Brownhill, Whalley New Road, Blackburn town centre, Livesey Branch Road, Tockholes and Belmont. It is a free public event for the general public, and no booking is required.

The source gives no start time or specific guidance on viewing locations, transport arrangements or accessibility. Those details should be checked when further event information is published. For now, residents can use the released route maps to see where Stage 2 will pass and watch for updates from Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Source: Blackburn with Darwen Council News

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Source check Source and route checks

The date, stage, borough route, free access and booking status were checked against the supplied Blackburn with Darwen Council news report.

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