UK bid to host 2026 Tour de France stages to be launched with extra £11m for 2030 World Cup

The United Kingdom will bid to host the 2026 Tour de France Grand Depart as part of a £30million Government programme to stage major sporting events.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is set to announce the proposal during Wednesday’s budget with a further £11m to be invested in bidding for the 2030 men’s football World Cup.

A plan to bring the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup is also on the agenda with stages in Scotland and Wales also featuring in the Tour draft.

He said: "I'm excited at the prospect of bringing more world-class sporting events to the UK. That's why I'm backing these British bids, with over £40m of funding to make our case.

"Our bids will include events taking place across the country, and I'm hopeful that everyone will get a chance to cheer on their sporting heroes.

"Britain is world-beating in both rugby and cycling, and bringing these events home will allow thousands of people to see the next generation of British sporting heroes."

Yorkshire hosted stages one and two of the Tour de France seven years ago, with the event then moving to London before heading to France.

The capital also staged the UK’s first Grand Depart in 2007 before a 126-mile ride to Canterbury for stage one.

British Cycling chief executive Brian Facer said: "The 2014 Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire was an unforgettable celebration of our sport and is still talked about to this day, inspiring a new generation of cyclists.

"More importantly, those few days showcased our country's credentials as one of the world's best cycling nations, and we're delighted to be supporting the UK Government's bid to bring the sport's showpiece event back to these shores in 2026."

The Rugby Football Union plans to adopt a multi-city and multi-region approach to delivering the 2025 global showpiece.

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “We are absolutely delighted that the Government has confirmed funding for the Rugby World Cup 2025 bid.

“Should our bid be successful, we firmly believe hosting this tournament across England would be transformational for the women and girls’ game, bringing thousands of players, volunteers and spectators to our sport.

“Working together with the Government, we can deliver a bid that inspires and showcases the power of women’s sport on the global stage.”

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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