TdF Grand Depart 2015
Getting ahead of ourselves a little bit here, but suggestions that the TdF will start out from Utrecht. I always thought that there was a kind of tradition that every other Tour started in France, maybe not then (via CN site)...
The 2015 Tour de France looks set to start in the Dutch city of Utrecht with local officials already working hard to secure the 10 million Euro budget needed to host the Grand Depart. It seems Utrecht has out bid other possible Grand Depart candidates, including Venice in Italy.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad claims that multiple sources have confirmed that negotiations with Tour de France organiser ASO are close to signing the official agreement with a possible confirmation in November during a visit by Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.
The route of the 2014 Tour de France route will be unveiled in Paris on Wednesday. The race starts in Yorkshire before traveling south to London and then on to France. The mayor of Utrecht Aleid Wolfsen is expected to be in Paris for the presentation.
Utrecht has been keen to host the start of the Tour de France for ten years. It was a prime candidate in 2005 but lost out to rival Dutch city Rotterdam. Utrecht would probably host the opening two stages of the Tour de France before the race heads to French soil via Belgium. This year's centenary edition of the Tour de France started in Corsica.
The Yorkshire Grand Depart is reported to have a budget of 14 million Euro, with an estimated 4.5 million Euro going to ASO. Utrecht believes 10 million will be enough in 2015.
Algemeen Dagblad reports that the Utrecht city council has promised five million Euro with a further 1.5 million Euro secured via business deals. The remaining 3.5 million will have to be found via sponsorship and local businesses.
The 2015 Tour de France looks set to start in the Dutch city of Utrecht with local officials already working hard to secure the 10 million Euro budget needed to host the Grand Depart. It seems Utrecht has out bid other possible Grand Depart candidates, including Venice in Italy.
Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad claims that multiple sources have confirmed that negotiations with Tour de France organiser ASO are close to signing the official agreement with a possible confirmation in November during a visit by Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme.
The route of the 2014 Tour de France route will be unveiled in Paris on Wednesday. The race starts in Yorkshire before traveling south to London and then on to France. The mayor of Utrecht Aleid Wolfsen is expected to be in Paris for the presentation.
Utrecht has been keen to host the start of the Tour de France for ten years. It was a prime candidate in 2005 but lost out to rival Dutch city Rotterdam. Utrecht would probably host the opening two stages of the Tour de France before the race heads to French soil via Belgium. This year's centenary edition of the Tour de France started in Corsica.
The Yorkshire Grand Depart is reported to have a budget of 14 million Euro, with an estimated 4.5 million Euro going to ASO. Utrecht believes 10 million will be enough in 2015.
Algemeen Dagblad reports that the Utrecht city council has promised five million Euro with a further 1.5 million Euro secured via business deals. The remaining 3.5 million will have to be found via sponsorship and local businesses.
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Comments
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How the hell were they going to host a grand depart in Venice? -
Bike - skis?0 -
calmx5 wrote:How the hell were they going to host a grand depart in Venice?
Like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNnR19fFENQ0 -
They could use some of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLboyOqi6R8calmx5 wrote:How the hell were they going to host a grand depart in Venice? -
Bike - skis?Twitter: @RichN950 -
They could have the GC favourites arrive by gondola to the team presentation. That would be cool.
Oh wait....
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FJS wrote:They could have the GC favourites arrive by gondola to the team presentation. That would be cool.
Oh wait....
If you were going to choose one of those four to fail a doping test in that year's Giro and get their results revoked which one would you have chosen?
Back OT, wasn't there some talk of a start in Qatar in 2015? Perhaps that was dismissed because of the possibility of having to move the start back to February.0 -
I know it's all about the money.
But why not just stay in France.0 -
Utrecht confirmed: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/pr ... -2015.html
So, 2 Grand Departs abroad in a row. Budget issues in the French provinces....
No details yet until the end of this month, but it has been suggested only a Prologue in Utrecht and then straight South to Valkenburg or Belgium.0 -
Or head east towards Armerongen and onto Arnhem and back again?Scott Addict 2011
Giant TCR 20120 -
RideOnTime wrote:I know it's all about the money.
But why not just stay in France.
But why restrict it to just France?
I do agree the tradition of alternating between a foreign and French start was a good one that it's a shame to break.0
