13 years after the Tour de France last stopped in Germany, the world's biggest cycling stage race is to be held in East Germany. This project of the newly founded association "Grand Depart Allemagne" was approved by the Federal General Assembly of German Cycling (formerly Bund Deutscher Radfahrer) with an overwhelming majority and support was assured.
"It should be a big bang for the region," said Rudolf Scharping, honorary president of German Cycling since last weekend, at the presentation in Leipzig.
In the 40th year of German reunification, the Tour de France start with three stages should also succeed with a view to a common European future. The first stage could lead from Dresden to Gera via the Ore Mountains region with the legendary Steep Wall of Meerane as a symbolic location of the former peace ride. One idea for the second stage is a time trial from Halle to Leipzig. A third stage could lead from Erfurt to Magdeburg.
