Germany Officially Submits Bid for Grand Départ 2029 in Berlin
Berlin, July 29, 2026 – Germany has officially submitted its bid to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2029. The Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) received the application documents, proposing Berlin and the three eastern federal states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia as the starting point for the prestigious cycling event. This marks a potential return of the Tour de France to German soil for the first time since 2017.
A Historic Bid Commemorating the Fall of the Berlin Wall
The German bid is strategically timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the peaceful revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall. This initiative aims to connect the history of German unity with Franco-German friendship, offering an international platform to experience this historical bond. Organizers anticipate significant benefits for tourism, economy, society, and cycling in the participating regions.
The official submission ceremony took place at the Jakob-Kaiser-Haus of the German Bundestag, bringing together high-ranking representatives from politics, sports, business, and diplomacy from both Germany and France. Among the attendees were A.S.O. General Director Yann Le Moënner and Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme.
Economic Impact and Cycling Development
The initiators of the bid project an estimated 12 million visitors and hope for an economic added value of 150 million euros. German Cycling, the official sponsor of the bid, expressed optimism about the long-term positive effects on the sport.
Bernd Dankowski, President of German Cycling, stated, “Today’s submission shows what close cooperation between politics, regions, and organized cycling can achieve. A Grand Départ in 2029 offers the chance to sustainably strengthen cycling in Germany – through international visibility, new impulses for our clubs, and the long-term promotion of future generations.”
Tour Director Christian Prudhomme was quoted as saying, “40 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a Grand Départ in Berlin and Central Germany would have an extraordinary historical and symbolic significance – for Germany, for Europe, and for Franco-German friendship.”
Previous German Grand Départs and Future Competition
The Tour de France has started in Germany four times before, most recently in Düsseldorf in 2017. Prior to that, Cologne (1965), Frankfurt/Main (1980), and West Berlin (1987) hosted the Grand Départ. If successful, 2029 would mark the fifth time Germany has hosted the prestigious opening stages.
However, Germany faces competition for the 2029 Grand Départ. Slovenia, home of five-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, and the Czech capital Prague are also reportedly in contention.
The bid was initiated and developed by Grand Départ Allemagne e.V., with the participation of the four aforementioned federal states.
Source: https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_146298.htm
