See the Tour de France Femmes trophy free at Weir Mill on Saturday 3 October and Merseyway on Sunday 4 October, 300 days before the race comes through Stockport.
The trophy for the Tour de France Femmes is coming to Stockport town centre next weekend, and anyone can go and see it for free. It marks 300 days until the women’s race starts in Britain, and its second stage comes through Stockport.
The council announced the visit on Thursday (Stockport Council).
Where and when
| Day | Where | Trophy on show | Also on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday 3 October | Rita Ray’s, Weir Mill, Chestergate | 11am to 5pm | screens showing this summer’s race, during the free WEIR:LIVE party |
| Sunday 4 October | Merseyway Shopping Centre | 10am to 4pm | Tour-themed crafts for children, 11am to 2pm |
On both days you can see the trophy up close and have your photo taken with it. On Sunday you can also meet the tour team.
Rita Ray’s opened at Weir Mill as what the council calls the North’s first sports bar focused on women’s sport. Saturday’s visit is timed to coincide with WEIR:LIVE, the free all-day party under the viaduct arches to mark the opening of the new Weir Mill neighbourhood. We covered the WEIR:LIVE line-up and times earlier this month.
A jersey competition for children
The Sunday crafts at Merseyway include a cycling jersey design competition for children and families. The winning design will feature in Merseyway’s own marketing campaign for the 2027 race, the council says.
When the race actually comes through
The 2027 Tour de France Femmes starts in Britain, with the first stage of the women’s race ever held here. It is also the first time both the men’s and women’s Tours have started in Great Britain (Grand Départ GB 2027).
The women’s race has three British stages:
- Friday 30 July 2027: Leeds to Manchester, 85.7km, with a sprint finish on Deansgate
- Saturday 31 July 2027: Manchester to Sheffield, 154.4km, through Stockport, Marple and New Mills
- Sunday 1 August 2027: the third and final British stage
Stage two is the one that matters here. The organisers say it leaves Manchester “through Stockport, Marple and New Mills”. It then climbs Winnats Pass and Snake Pass in the Peak District, and finishes on Attercliffe Common in Sheffield. It has nearly 3,000 metres of climbing (Grand Départ GB 2027, stage 2). The exact roads through the borough have not been published yet.
Stockport Council is listed among the stage hosts (Grand Départ GB 2027, stage hosts).
What they said
Cllr Dan Oliver, the council’s cabinet member responsible for sport, called the race coming to Stockport “a huge moment for our borough and one we want everyone to feel part of”.
Becky Brown, who founded Rita Ray’s, said: “It shows girls and women locally that they belong in sport and that their achievements deserve to be celebrated.”
What it means for you
- Saturday 3 October, 11am to 5pm: see the trophy at Rita Ray’s in Weir Mill, then stay for WEIR:LIVE. Both are free.
- Sunday 4 October, 10am to 4pm: the trophy moves to Merseyway. Bring children between 11am and 2pm for the crafts and the jersey competition.
- Put Saturday 31 July 2027 in the diary: that is the day the race comes through Stockport and Marple.
More ideas for the weekend are on our things to do in Stockport page.
Sources: Stockport Council news release, 24 September 2026; Grand Départ GB 2027, including the stage 1 and stage 2 route pages and the stage hosts page.
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