A possible start of the Tour de France 2029 in Berlin and a further three stages in eastern Germany would cost up to 25 million euros. The association founded to realize the project is calculating with such a sum, reports the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung".
"We want to cover one third with private sponsors," said Thomas Hofmann, President of the Saxon Cycling Association. The rest is to come from the public sector. Saxony-Anhalt has already promised financial support and the Berlin Senate wants to look into it.
The high costs - a large part of which is the license fee for the Tour organizer ASO - are to be converted into advertising and tourism effects. "For every euro you spend, experience has shown that it comes back more than tenfold," said Andreas Prokop from the "Grand Départ Allemagne" association. He referred to studies of past Tour starts. According to the association, a start in Berlin and subsequent stages through central Germany should generate economic added value of 150 million euros.
