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TOUR DE FRANCE

Copenhagen mayor optimistic over Tour de France start

Copenhagen’s chances of hosting the start of the 2021 Tour de France are very good, according to Lord Mayor Frank Jensen.

Published: 30 August 2018 16:54 CEST
Copenhagen mayor optimistic over Tour de France start
French president Emmanuel Macron presents Danish PM Lars Løkke Rasmussen with a yellow cycling jersey during the former's state visit to Copenhagen. Photo: Statsministeriet/handout/Ritzau Scanpix

Jensen made his assessment after speaking with Christian Prudhomme, director of the iconic sporting event, who was in Copenhagen during French president Emmanuel Macron’s state visit earlier this week.

Macron himself said that Copenhagen could host part of the tour “very soon”, and provisions of 17 million kroner to help pay for the initiative were confirmed in Denmark's proposed 2019 budget on Thursday.

“I would say I’m well over 75 percent (certain),” Jensen told newspaper BT in relation to Copenhagen’s chances of hosting the start of the event three years from now.

The lord mayor has for several years been part of a delegation of leading Danish politicians that have worked to convince Prudhomme of Copenhagen’s suitability for the first three days of the tour.

A potential obstacle has been whether the Tour de France support infrastructure could be transported to and from Denmark quickly enough.

That issue has been resolved by Prudhomme’s agreement to place a rest day after the first three days of the tour, according to Jensen.

The Danish bid proposes the third day of the tour finish in Sønderborg, near the Scandinavian country’s southern border with Germany.

A subsequent rest day would provide enough time to transport the tour to France.

Jensen added that although he was optimistic over the event, nothing was confirmed at this stage.

“It’s not done yet and it won’t be done until negotiations on the overall terms are complete,” he told BT.

READ ALSO: Denmark to host start of Tour de France soon: Macron after Copenhagen bike ride

SPORT

Inaugural Women’s Tour de France to start at Eiffel Tower

The route for the inaugural women's Tour de France was unveiled on Thursday with eight stages, embarking from the Eiffel Tower on July 24th next year.

Published: 14 October 2021 16:04 CEST
French cyclist Marion Rousse delivers a speech next to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the first edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race.
French cyclist Marion Rousse delivers a speech next to Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the first edition of the Women's Tour de France cycling race. Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP.

The first complete edition of the women’s version of cycling’s iconic race starts on the day the 109th edition of the men’s Tour ends.

After a route that winds through northern France, the race culminates in the Planche des Belles Filles climb in the Vosges mountains.

Danish cyclist Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig said she was over the moon to be taking part.

“I want it to be July now so we can get stared,” she said actually jumping up and down.

“The Tour de France is a reference and when you say you are a cyclist people ask about that. Now I can say I race the Tour de France,” she said after the presentation.

MAP: Details of 2022 Tour de France (and Denmark) revealed

Race director Marion Rousse, a former French cycling champion and now a TV commentator, told AFP it would be a varied course that would maintain suspense over the eight days.

“It is coherent in a sporting sense, and we wanted to start from Paris,” she said of the 1,029km run.

“With only eight stages we couldn’t go down to the Alps or the Pyrenees, the transfers would be too long.

“The stages obviously are shorter for the women than for the men’s races. The men can go 225 kilometres. For the women the longest race on our roster is 175km and we even needed special dispensation for that,” she said. “But it’s a course I love.”

Christian Prudhomme, the president of the Tour de France organisers, was equally enthusiastic.

“The fact it sets off from Paris the day the men’s race ends gives the new race a boost because it sets the media up to follow it more easily.

“It also means that with the Tour de France starting on July 1st and the women’s race ending on the 31st, there will be cycling on television every day of July.”

The men’s race is broadcast in around 190 countries.

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