A German bid to host the 2029 or 2030 Tour de France in eastern Germany is becoming more and more concrete. As the Deutsche Presse-Agentur has learned from the "Grand Départ" association, the federal capital Berlin is now officially part of the team alongside the federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia as well as the Federal Republic of Germany. The association has received a letter to this effect from Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.
By including Berlin, the organizers are following a recommendation from Tour boss Christian Prudhomme. He had recently pointed out that the bid was also linked to the political signal of reunification. "For me as a Frenchman and for many other Europeans, this event is primarily linked to the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. That would be a very strong signal for me: Berlin 2029 and the fall of the Wall in 1989," said Prudhomme in a "Sportschau" interview.
"Grande Départ" plans no longer tied to 2030 only
The German organizers had previously preferred the year 2030, as there are already strong contenders for 2029 with the Czech Republic and Slovenia. "But we no longer prioritize a year. There are plans that work just as well for 2029 as for 2030," said Andreas Prokop, deputy chairman of the association.
On Monday, members of the association will travel to Paris, where there will be more concrete talks with Prudhomme and other representatives of Tour de France organizer ASO before the bid is officially announced.
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