Visma-Lease a Bike on the 2027 Tour: "There could have been more uphill finishes."

Visma-Lease a Bike is looking ahead to the 2027 Tour de France with great confidence. The Dutch team sees opportunities for all its leaders: two-time winner Jonas Vingegaard , who was forced to retire from this year's edition, Wout van Aert , and perhaps even sprinter Matthew Brennan .

After the official presentation of the route, which took place on Thursday in Paris, race director Marc Reef commented on the 21 stages: two time trials, six mountain stages and a very tough queen stage in the Pyrenees, which should decide the next yellow jersey.

“At first glance, it’s a pretty balanced course, with several flat stages for the sprinters, explosive finishes, and very tough mountain sections,” Reef explained.

The director then highlighted the major innovation in the race design: "The two long and relatively flat time trials are particularly noteworthy. We haven't seen them in the Tour for a long time. Compared to last year, I've seen fewer uphill finishes, and in my opinion, there could have been more. Overall, though, it's an interesting route."

He's right: there are only three high-altitude finishes. Stage 9 features the Grand Colombier , stage 11 Les Saisies , and stage 18 Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet .

On paper, it's a more favorable course for Remco Evenepoel , this year's runner-up, than for Vingegaard. However, the real target for both will be defending champion Tadej Pogačar , whom they'll try to dislodge from the top step in July.

Vingegaard broke his collarbone and was forced to abandon the 2026 Tour on stage 15. He hasn't raced since. His return to racing in 2027 will have one goal: to arrive at the Tour in the best possible condition.

Reef emphasized how demanding the two time trials will be, covering a total of 71 kilometers . Equally crucial will be the days towards Sallanches and the one on the Col du Portet, where Vingegaard will try to beat Pogačar for the first time since 2023.

"[Stages 9 to 11] are where the GC riders will go head-to-head for the first time. These are stages that could suit us well. Racing on the World Championships course also adds an extra dimension to the Tour," he said.

The last time we had this many time trials was in 2012. Plus, most of the courses are pretty flat. Time trials are a discipline we work hard on and invest heavily in. Overall, we're very strong, and we have several specialists on the team. These time trials will play an important role in the overall standings.

The Pyrenees, the final judge. For Reef, the race will be decided on stages 18 and 19. The first, with a whopping 5,400 meters of elevation gain , is not only the toughest of the 114th edition but also one of the toughest in recent years. It's precisely the terrain where a remarkably fit Vingegaard should shine.

"Some viewers might struggle to relate to the climbs of this Tour, but there's no shortage of fantastic stages. The finishes on the Grand Colombier and the Col du Portet are certainly something to look forward to. And then there's the final stage in Paris, of course," Reef added.

"It seems like a route that should suit several of our riders very well. Now we need to analyze it thoroughly and use that analysis to build a plan that gives us the best chance of success as a team. One thing's for sure: this route offers us many opportunities to achieve great things."

The Grand Départ. The 2027 Tour will kick off on July 2 with a flat stage from Edinburgh , Scotland, to Carlisle , England. Visma could bring Matthew Brennan as a rookie, along with its Vuelta super-lead, Van Aert . The Belgian will certainly have his chances on the many challenging stages and will aim for the Briton's first yellow jersey on home soil.