The team responsible for leading the delivery of the Grand Départ of both the 2027 Tour De France and Tour De France Femmes, Avec Zwift has today been confirmed, as part of a game-changing step which also sees the creation of a new company to safeguard the future of major sporting events in the UK.
The Grand Départ 2027 will be the biggest ever free-to-spectate sporting event in the UK’s history and marks the first time that both races have been staged in the same country outside of France. A newly established Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - Grand Départ GB 2027 - will maintain oversight of the delivery of the events and manage public funding on behalf of DCMS, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and UK Sport.
The SPV is a joint venture between British Cycling and UKEL - a new, independent, not-for-profit company established to help ensure that delivery of major sporting events in the UK is fit for the future. This unique partnership is the first of its kind in the UK and represents a new era for flagship sporting events hosted on British soil.
The Acting Chair of the Grand Départ GB 2027 Board will be Chris Brindley, the former Chair of Rugby League World Cup 2021 and current Chair of the Northern Ireland Football League. The Board will also include Paul Williamson, Michelle Dite, Tove Okunniwa and Frank Slevin who together, bring a diverse range of experience from within and outside of sport.
The establishment of Grand Départ GB 2027 coincides with the creation of a new events hosting company, UKEL. UKEL has been established to safeguard and enhance the UK's ability to secure and deliver global events, acting with agility and flexibility to better meet the changing needs of the international sports event market.
The not-for-profit company will have the ability to support National Governing Bodies to bid for and host major events, retain industry-leading talent and knowledge and provide core services to the UK’s event hosting industry. Grand Départ GB 2027 is the first event to be delivered through UKEL.
It can today be confirmed that the Board of UKEL will be Chaired by Alys Carlton, the current Chair of the Football Association of Wales and a former corporate lawyer with 20 years’ experience. She will sit alongside Chris Brindley and Steve Elworthy, Chief Executive of Surrey County Cricket Club and former CEO of the 2017 and 2019 Cricket World Cups. Esther Britten, Head of Events and External Affairs at UK Sport, will also join the board as an observer.
Chris Brindley, Acting Chair of Grand Départ GB 2027 and UKEL Board Member, said;
“Today marks a significant milestone in the delivery of the Grand Départ of both the Tour De France and Tour De France Femmes, Avec Zwift in 2027. I am delighted that we have such a strong and experienced team in place to drive forward this historic and unique event which has such huge potential to unite and inspire people right across the country.
“Today also heralds a new era for event delivery in the UK with the establishment of UKEL Ltd which will be critical to enabling major sporting events to be held in the UK over the coming years and, crucially, will ensure those events deliver a more extensive positive impact on UK communities.”
Find out more about the Grand Départ 2027 at www.letourgb.com.