UCI reveals 2027 WorldTour racing calendars with 'Super' World Championships in France forcing changes

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) has unveiled the 2027 WorldTour calendars for both men’s and women’s professional road cycling, introducing significant scheduling adjustments prompted by the upcoming ‘Super’ World Championships in Haute-Savoie Mont-Blanc, France. Notably, the men’s Vuelta a España will be held entirely in September, from the 4th to the 26th, pushed back to accommodate the World Championships running from late August into early September. Correspondingly, the women’s Vuelta Femenina will move from May to the latter part of the season, aligning all women’s Grand Tours to follow directly after their male counterparts on the calendar. Several other race dates have shifted to avoid clashes with the multi-discipline World Championships. The Lloyds Tour of Britain Women and Classic Lorient Agglomération have been brought forward, while the men’s Eschborn-Frankfurt Classic has moved from its traditional May 1st slot to the Sunday after Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which falls on 2 May in 2027. Despite these changes, the season will still commence in January with the Tour Down Under and conclude in China with the Tour of Chongming Island for women and the Tour of Guangxi for men. The 2027 men’s WorldTour will feature 36 events across 13 countries on four continents, totalling 169 race days, while the women’s WorldTour will include 26 events in 11 countries across three continents, amounting to 69 race days. The Tour de France remains in its customary July slot, running from the 2nd to the 25th, with the Tour de France Femmes starting just five days later, from 30 July to 7 August. These calendars reflect the UCI’s ongoing efforts to balance the global racing schedule around major events and emerging priorities. Beyond calendar changes, the UCI’s Management Committee revealed plans to appeal SRAM’s victory in a gear ratio restriction dispute to Belgium’s high court. The governing body also intends to introduce new safety regulations, including limits on bike computer sizes and a ban on inside front jersey pockets during professional races. Additionally, the 2028 World Championships in Abu Dhabi have been rescheduled to late October to avoid extreme heat, demonstrating the UCI’s responsiveness to environmental and safety concerns in the sport. These adjustments underscore the increasing complexity of managing the international cycling calendar, especially with the introduction of the ‘Super’ World Championships that combine multiple disciplines. Riders, teams, and organisers will need to adapt to the condensed scheduling around these flagship events, which could influence race strategies and season planning in the years to come. The UCI’s proactive approach aims to safeguard athlete welfare while maintaining the sport’s global appeal and competitive integrity.