Saxony's state parliament wants to bring the start of the Tour de France cycling race to the state in 2030 and also involve the neighboring states of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. At its last session before the summer break, the parliament called on the state government to support corresponding efforts in the three states. The selection of cities outside France as stage locations has international appeal and is a symbol of cohesion, exchange and European friendship, it said. The Greens' motion was passed unanimously.
Greens politician Valentin Lippmann spoke of an important signal to the organizers and the many people involved in the project. "A Grand Départ in Saxony would be a great opportunity for our region. If hundreds of millions of people follow the broadcast of the stages, it would be almost priceless advertising for our Free State". Tourism would also benefit massively from the start of the Tour. Every euro invested would generate three to nine times the direct revenue.
The applicants drew attention to the fact that German reunification will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2030. The staging of the Grand Départ would then have an extraordinarily symbolic significance - also as a strong sign of European unity.
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