The Tour de France is more likely to return to Germany in 2030 – and has considered the starting point on the 40th anniversary of the German reunification Dresden. Tour director Christian Prudhomme was impressed by the idea in the French embassy in Berlin on Tuesday and gave the effort to the effort.
“Germany is important for France, which is why Germany is of course important for the Tour de France,” said Prudhomme at a book presentation for the most important bike race in the world: “You can’t easily wipe a German application off the table.” The Franco-German connection is very important everywhere, “general, economical, cultural and also for the tour,” said Prudhomme.
The “Grand Départ 2030” initiative is behind the efforts. According to initial plans by Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the route should lead to Dresden cities such as Jena, Erfurt, Weimar or Magdeburg.
The tour of France started four times in Germany in its more than 100 years of history, most recently in Düsseldorf in 2017. Previously, Cologne (1965), Frankfurt/Main (1980) and West Berlin (1987) hosted the Grand Départ.
The French ambassador Francois Delattre is one of the supporters of a German tour start. The 40th anniversary of reunification was a big event on many levels, “it would be great if this fifth Grand Départ could take place in Germany,” said Delattre.