Chancellor Merz supports tour start in the East

The Tour de France-Start 2030 project in East Germany is gaining further momentum. In a letter dated October 31, Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged his support for the application of the "Grand Départ 2030" association. "You are campaigning for the world's largest cycling tour to start in Saxony for the first time, with subsequent stages in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. I am happy to pledge my support for this project," reads the letter from the Chancellery.

Merz emphasized that he would very much welcome it if this prestigious event was seen as a Germany-wide project "and we can show internationally that Germany can host an unforgettable sporting event together with Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia."

Initiators delighted with Merz letter

The initiators of the project, who are now in close contact and exchange with the Tour organizers in Paris and have already received broad political support from the designated federal states, regard the letter from the Federal Chancellor as a further milestone. "If the Federal Chancellor, and therefore the Federal Republic of Germany, stands behind this project, then it shows that Germany can make history. Not just in sporting terms, but as a symbol of what three federal states can achieve together. This trust spurs us on to continue with even more energy," said board member Andreas Prokop.

The "Grand Départ 2030" association is pursuing the vision of setting a sports policy example in the 40th year of the Peaceful Revolution. A project that combines sport, history and European perspectives.