TAT governor Thawatchai Arunyik told the Reuters news agency today (Thursday) that he had held encouraging talks with ASO chairman Etienne Amaury over the possibility of holding the Grand Depart in 2016.

This was a stance that ASO quickly refuted, confirming that Thailand could be in line to host a one-day race in association with the Tour - as has recently happened in Japan - but stating that there are no plans to take the race itself so far afield.

“There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand,” an ASO spokesman told Reuters. “There are discussions to settle in Thailand via a criterium, just like we did in Japan with the Saitama Criterium by Le Tour de France.”

Gaining a criterium would be a significant development for cycling in Thailand, even if it represents something of a step down from Arunyik’s earlier claims.

“We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at the next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015,” he had said.

“We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold, whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed.

“Thailand is the perfect location for this highly prestigious competition, not to mention that cycling as a sport is enjoying enormous popularity here at the moment.”

Last year’s rapturously received opening stages in Yorkshire, England marked the 20th occasion in the Tour de France’s 101-year history that it has started on foreign soil, although these excursions have been limited to western European countries.

Utrecht will host the Grand Depart in 2015 - the sixth time the Tour de France will have started in the Netherlands.

The first ever Tour Makers for the Tour de France in the UK have been selected, with 12,000 volunteers making it through the application process.

The Tour Makers will be the volunteer force that will welcome millions of visitors when the Tour de France Grand Départ begins in and races around Yorkshire for two days and a third stage from Cambridge to London. 

Official applications have been now completed and almost 12,000 people have been named as successful applicants and will become a Tour Maker. 

 The Tour Maker project is a first in the history of the Tour de France's Grand Départs.

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, the agency who led the winning bid to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire and devised the Tour Maker idea, said: "The response since day one to the Tour Maker project has been unbelievable, with so many people wanting to be directly involved with this historic event.”

Volunteers will be allocated roles by the TDFHub2014Ltd, who are delivering the Tour Maker programme. 

Nicky Roche, chief executive of TdFHUB2014 Ltd, which is managing the Tour Makers, said: “I’m delighted that we now have our 12,000 Tour Makers for Stages 1, 2 and 3. The team look forward to working with them and getting to know them over the next few months as they go through the training process. 

“The standard of applications was incredibly high, and I know that come July we will have a team of incredible, talented Tour Makers ready to welcome the world to the Tour de France in the UK.”

[Source: British Cycling] In a historic milestone, the world’s biggest bike races, the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, will both take place in the UK in 2027, marking the first time both the men’s and women’s Grand Départs will take place in the same country (outside France).

England, Scotland, and Wales are all set to host stages of this famous event in 2027, making it the largest free sporting spectacle in British history with millions expected to line the streets for the return of the Tour de France, and to witness the first ever staging of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in the UK.

The men’s Tour de France will begin in Edinburgh, Scotland. Further route details for both the men’s and women’s 2027 Grand Départs will be announced in the Autumn, with the focus on maximising the opportunity to showcase Britain’s diverse landscapes alongside the nation’s enthusiasm for cycling and inspiring as many people as possible through the event.

As a key part of this, a landmark social impact programme will be delivered as part of the build-up to the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift Grand Départs. The ambitious programme will deliver long-lasting benefits for thousands of people across the country by tackling inactivity, improving mental wellbeing, boosting economic growth and supporting communities to thrive.

The return of Tour de France to the UK is the result of an ambitious and collaborative effort from key partners, including British Cycling, UK Sport, UK Government, Scottish and Welsh Governments, and event stakeholders in a strategic win that will drive lasting benefits for the sport and everyone who rides a bike.

The last time the men’s Tour de France graced British shores was in 2014 when crowds of people cheered from the roadsides of Yorkshire and London for three unforgettable stages, following the race’s previous visit to the UK in 2007. With its return in 2027, the event offers an unparalleled opportunity to inspire a new generation of cycling fans and riders while boosting cycle tourism right across the country.

Christian Prudhomme, General Director, Tour de France, said: "The Tour de France and the UK share a rich history, and I am delighted to bring the Grand Départ to the country in 2027. Britain has always welcomed the Tour with enthusiasm and pride, and this collaboration across England, Scotland, and Wales promises to make the event even more special."

First Minister of Scotland, John Swinney, said: “It is a tremendous honour to welcome the Tour de France to Scotland. We know it is one of the most iconic and inspiring contests in sport, and that Scotland provides the perfect stage for major events. Hosting the Tour promises to be a unique opportunity to showcase our country to its many fans around the world as part of a timeline of incredible sporting events in Scotland from 2026 to 2028.”

First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, said: “The Welsh stage of the 2027 UK Grand Depart promises to be a memorable experience for competitors and fans alike. Boasting stunning landscapes, warm and welcoming communities and an ever-growing fanbase of cycling enthusiasts, Wales will provide the ultimate challenge and a unique Welsh ‘Croeso’ for the world’s biggest cycle race.

“We will build on our successful track record of hosting road cycling events, ensuring the Tour De France has a positive and lasting impact on cycling in Wales, by showcasing Wales as a top international destination for cyclists and encouraging more people in Wales to get into cycling.”

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, said: “The opportunity to host the Grand Departs of both the Men's and Women’s Tour de France will cement Britain's reputation as a destination for major international sporting events. This will stimulate growth, attract new visitors and leave a lasting legacy for athletes and fans alike.

“Staging the Tour de France Femmes in Britain for the first time will also be an historic occasion and inspire the next generation of female cyclists while supporting our mission of breaking down barriers for women and girls to get more involved in sport.”

Simon Morton, Director of Events at UK Sport said: “We set out to host the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes because we believe that live sport is a fundamental part of our country’s social fabric, and that we should be hosting events that are accessible to people and communities across the country. This will be the biggest free spectator event ever hosted in the UK, offering the public front-row access to world class sport across villages, towns and cities. We can’t wait to share more details later in the year about this truly remarkable route.”

Jon Dutton OBE, CEO of British Cycling, said: "The return of the Tour de France Grand Départ to Britain is an exciting moment for cycling in the UK. Hosting both the men’s and women’s races together will be a first, and we believe it has the potential to inspire more people to discover the joy and benefits of cycling. This is not just about the race – it’s about creating a national moment that encourages healthier lifestyles, supports cycle tourism, and brings communities together."

To find out more information and keep up-to-date with the 2027 Grand Departs, please visit letourgb.com

[Source: Sport Event Denmark / Wonderful Copenhagen] This year’s Tour de France started in Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, when the teams were presented in front of 10,000 cheering fans, and ended with Jonas Vingegaard returning triumphantly dressed in yellow.

Vingegaard however, is not the only Dane thinking back at Tour de France with fond memories. A new report shows how the Danish Grand Départ had great impact both in terms of tourism income, exposure, and not least in engaging the whole nation.

Of the 1,665,789 spectators for the three Tour de France stages in Denmark, 722,167 were tourists, both domestic and international, spending more than EUR 100m.

The event also generated massive media attention, with Denmark and Tour de France mentioned together in 80,000 editorial articles from June 2021 to July 2022.

“For us, Tour de France was an engine boosting our focus on promoting everyday cycling and showcasing the infrastructure solutions we have in Copenhagen. And these numbers just show what a powerful platform a major event can be. We have hosted major medias from all over the world, including The Guardian, Le Monde, and The Times returning home sharing stories showing what the transformation bike infrastructure can do for a city and how it helps Copenhagen to become a healthier, cleaner, and less congested city, says Lars Vallentin, senior manager at Wonderful Copenhagen, the Official Destination Management Organisation of Copenhagen.

However, the biggest success of the Danish tour start was probably the enormous local engagement and the many projects, carried out in relation to Copenhagen and Denmark hosting the Tour de France – Grand Départ. In the last 100 days before the event, a total of 744 Tour de France related events were carried out all over Denmark engaging everything from schools to shops and even a hospice, where the visitors helped knit an enormous yellow jersey.

Sport Event Denmark are very happy for the huge impact of Tour de France in Denmark and believe this is the perfect platform for attracting big events for the future.

“We must take advantage of the fact that we have created such a strong image of our unique cycling DNA and hosting role in Denmark. We at Sport Event Denmark dream of Denmark hosting even more big cycling events. The UCI Road World Championships could be an option. Denmark successfully staged the event in 2011 so why not repeat it with the insights we have now from the staging of the Grand Départ Tour de France?” says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.

Lundov and Vallentin both point to the close collaboration with the rights holders, ASO, as an important part of the Danish success bringing the event to life all over Denmark, with everything from bike shops and bakers to events using the official city dressing.

A design developed in collaboration with the French organization. A partnership which helped create an unprecedented celebration of everyday cycling and Denmark as a cycling nation and destination.

The rain is pouring down, the asphalt is wet, yet the crowds seem unfazed as they cheer on Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar and the rest of the Tour de France riders blazing through the 13 km time trial cutting corners on Copenhagen’s slippery streets. 
This day is a battle amongst the fastest and fiercest riders in the world, but it is not only a celebration of raw power and the cycling elite. It is also a tribute to the everyday cyclists riding their bikes through the same streets, the changing seasons, and the predictably mischievous weather. The people who choose the bike when they go to school, to work or on new adventures exploring the nearly 400 km bike lanes in the Danish capital. 
“For us hosting Tour de France – Grand Départ had to be about more than sport,” says Lars Vallentin Christensen, senior manager at Wonderful Copenhagen. “It was also the perfect opportunity to promote cycling and get even more people out of cars and onto bikes, just as we wanted to show the world why it makes sense to invest in bike infrastructure. It is better for the climate, for making cities more liveable and for public health. And Tour de France was a great catalyst to push this agenda.”
This year’s Grand Départ was far from the first time Copenhagen has benefitted from events functioning as a driver for a development. Last year’s EURO2020 had a large program not least focusing on getting girls to play football and to strengthen inclusivity towards the LGBTIQ community within the football clubs. And the overall focus of sport and football being for everyone. 

Keep Copenhagen in the yellow jersey of everyday biking
Copenhagen ranks as the most bike friendly city in the world, with around half the population commuting to school and work by bike. The city is connected by beautiful bike bridges and The Guardian just recently described Copenhagen as the first city it had been pleasant to cycle in. 
Still, less people choose the bike than just a few years ago and especially the younger generation get around using other means of transportation. An unfortunate development, which is not easily turned around. For Denmark, Tour de France was the perfect opportunity to promote cycling – both to the world and the many polluted, congested cities. But not least to the Danes, to ensure that future generations will continue cycling.
“Hosting major events can do a lot for a city or nation. If the circumstances are in place, and the event is planned well, it can drive huge social, economic, and environmental impact. Moreover, you can demonstrate these objectives for an international audience, not just talk about it,” says Lars Lundov, Chief Executive, Sport Event Denmark.
“We experienced it most recently with the 2022 Grand Depart Tour de France in Copenhagen and across our nation. Enthusiasm and support among the Danes were impressive and largely helped to create a huge success during the five days in Denmark.”
Hosting the Grand Départ in Copenhagen was born out of the idea that the best bike city should welcome the biggest cycle race in the world; celebrating both Wout van Aert and the everyday bike heroes who choose the healthy, green, and non-congesting way to travel the city.
This dual focus on both sport and everyday life carried the essence of the Danish Tour-start and was an easy fit as Danes not only loves cycling as a pastime and mean of transportation, they also have a very strong passion for the Tour de France. As a matter of fact, Danes watch the most Tour de France per capita of any nation. The famous race to Paris is actual more popular in Denmark than in France herself. And these numbers are even from before this year’s extreme popularity with both three stages in Denmark, four Danish stage wins and of course and overall Danish winner.
“The Grand Départ in Copenhagen and Denmark was major spectator success. First the riders were welcomed in Tivoli by like rock stars by cheering fans and when the actual race started, roads were packed to an unseen degree. One actual challenge was, that there were people everywhere making the rider’s options for natural relief more than scarce”, says Vallentin.

Everyone was invited to have a tour experience 
In Copenhagen, the focus on both elite and everyday cycling manifested itself with 140 side events counting from 100 days before the race. These included bike races for children, just as new school material was developed; teaching children about Tour de France, cycling as a sport and not least Denmark’s traditions for everyday cycling and how riding a bike is good for both climate and health. 
Most notably the entire city was invited to join the Tour de Copenhagen and ride the trails of their sporting heroes on the day after the first stage. As the peloton moved on to Roskilde and stage two, the roads of the time trial course were not reopened for cars until later in the day, with the barriers and city dressing left standing. Allowing the everyday cyclists, a taste of Tour. 
The Tour de Copenhagen first unleashed the local cycling clubs to ride the course at full speed, so they could test their abilities against Yves Lampaerts winning time, before a long parade of everyday cyclists, kids and their parents and cargo bikes with elderlies toured the course and had their unique Tour de France experience.
During the three stages in Denmark, Copenhagen also hosted a bike festival close to the route, where families and bike enthusiasts could watch the stages and engage in a variety of cycling oriented activities, making the Grand Départ a true celebration for everyone to partake in. 

Year of the bike
On a national scale the final 100 days before the Grand Départ were packed with more than 700 side events all over Denmark, and the ministry of transportation declared 2022 to be the year of the bike, boosting cycling infrastructure with an EUR 400m investment. 
These side events included closing down one of Denmark’s major traffic corridors, the Great Belt Bridge, so that it was possible to organise a bike race, allowing normal sport cyclist to cross the 17 km bridge, which was a highlight of Tour de France in Denmark and normally only for cars. 
Residents at a hospice near Vejle knitted a giant 600kg yellow jersey, which was raised along the route. Several hospice patients called it therapeutic and said that it was nice to be part of Tour de France in Denmark and leave their mark, even though they wouldn’t live to experience it themselves. 
And of course, the strong focus on the male elite couldn’t stand alone, and just month after Mads Pedersen and Magnus Cort had battled the Tour peloton in Denmark, the world’s elite was ones again welcomed to start a race in Copenhagen. This time it was for the Tour of Scandinavia – Battle of the North. 
“It was amazing to also welcome the Women’s WorldTour and to see the many spectators who cheered them along. And of course, it was great to see, that just like Jonas Vingegaard brought back the yellow jersey from Paris, Cecilia Uttrup Ludvig took the overall victory in Tour of Scandinavia, highlighting the strength and depth of Danish cycling right now,” says Vallentin.  

A grand platform for sharing
For Copenhagen the year event was a very strong platform for sharing some of the city’s best solutions for creating a liveable city, which is pleasant to be in and not least to move around in. 
Copenhagen’s bike infrastructure is second to none and for years it has been a priority to put bikes before cars creating an efficient and safe network of routes getting more people on bikes. This focus has been very successful and today the many bikes is the first thing coming to mind, when visitors are asked what they notice in Copenhagen. 
Because of the added attention created by Tour de France media from all over the world came to experience the world’s most bike friendly city, thus getting inspired to promote cycling and maybe bring some of our solutions back to London, Rome, and Paris. 
“It is part of our part of our mission to inspire the world with green solutions and hosting Tour de France just created the perfect platform for us to share our bike culture. Because really it is not only a culture. Danes has loved cycling for many years, but the deciding factor is to make cycling the best, safest, and fastest way to get around. And in Copenhagen it really is,” says Vallentin.
Having the powerful Tour de France brand and mixing it with public backing and huge grassroot initiative and enthusiasm meant that Denmark was painted yellow, and cycling was celebrated and promoted to an extent the city has not experienced before.

Copenhagen is considering what is next
The last two years Copenhagen has hosted major events like Tour de France, EURO2020, WorldPride and the city is getting excited about next year’s BWF Badminton World Championships, where local hero and the world’s number one, Victor Axelsen, can hopefully replicate Jonas Vingegaard and take the trophy. 
After that Copenhagen is back on the bike and ready to host the UCI Track World Championship in 2024 and the UCI BMX World Championship in 2025. On top of this, the Danish Capital has its eyes firmly fixed on the 2025 UEFA Women's Championship with a joint Nordic bid, and it is also the ambition to follow up on the success of the Tour de France and host the UCI Road World’s 2029
“We are hopeful that the Nordic focus on female sport, gender rights and hosting inclusive events with great outreach programmes, will help sway the European Football Association,” says Vallentin.
 

This article was contributed by Wonderful Copenhagen

Denmark will host the Grand Départ of the 2021 Tour de France, starting on 2^nd July in capital city Copenhagen, followed by a second stage on 3^rd July running from Roskilde to Nyborg on the island of Funen, and the third stage on July 4^th starting in Vejle and finishing in Sønderborg.

A Deloitte report on the 2017 Grand Départ found that Düsseldorf benefited economically by EUR 64m, with the total marketing value to the host estimated at EUR 443m. Other cities and regions to have benefited from hosting the Grand Départ include Utrecht (2015), Yorkshire (2014), and Rotterdam (2010).

Denmark’s bid to host a Tour de France Grand Départ officially began on June 20th 2016 in Paris, where the bid was presented to Christian Prudhomme by the former Danish Minister for Business and Growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen.

Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France Race Director at the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said: “Of course the Tour de France, with the best professional sports cyclists in the world, had to visit Denmark and Copenhagen – the best country and the best city in the world for everyday cycling. The Grand Départ Copenhague – Danemark 2021 is the ‘rendez-vous’ to celebrate the mutual inspiration between every day cycling and professional cycling.”

With 198 top athletes and more than 900,000 spectators expected to attend the three stages, this will be one of the biggest sports events ever held in Denmark.

The Tour de France is broadcast in 190 countries and has about 3.5 billion TV viewers during the race.

Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, said: “Denmark made it! It is fantastic! A dream born many years ago has come true. The world’s greatest cycling race starts in Denmark in 2021. It doesn’t get much bigger. It is the perfect match for the proud Danish tradition for hosting major cycling events where the massive interest for cycling and the stars of cycling are the driving forces.”

Other major international cycling events hosted by Denmark include the UCI Road World Championships in 2011, the UCI BMX World Championships in 2011, the start of the Giro d'Italia in 2012, the UCI Amateur World Championships in 2015, the UCI European Championships in 2017 and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships in 2019.

The hosts of the three stages

The opening stage, a 13-kilometre time trial in central Copenhagen, starts off on H.C. Andersens Boulevard and finishes on City Hall Square after having passed through the heart of Copenhagen including landmarks such as the Royal Palace of Amalienborg, the historic harbour of Nyhavn and the parliament at Christiansborg.

The second stage runs for 190 kilometres, starting in the heart of the historic city of Roskilde and finishing in Nyborg on the island of Funen after crossing the majestic Great Belt Bridge with possible side winds and a chance of breakaway.

The third and final stage starts off in Vejle, passing sights such as UNESCO world heritage Jelling Monuments and riding through 170 kilometres of stunning countryside scenery before finishing in Sønderborg, with an airport five kilometres from the finishing line.

The city of Odense was included in the original bid as the destination of the second stage but was replaced by the municipality of Nyborg, due to a desire from the ASO to let the Great Belt Bridge play a bigger role in the second stage of the Tour.

Bidding and delivery teams

The bid team consisted of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg, Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen, the Capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark.

The event will be organised by a partnership consisting of the Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and the municipalities of Copenhagen, Roskilde, Nyborg, Vejle and Sønderborg as stakeholders. The capital region of Denmark and the regions of Zealand and Southern Denmark are contributing to the partnership financially.

An administrative office with responsibility for the day-to-day operation of this partnership will be set up to implement the Grand Départ in Denmark. The temporary director of the administrative office Alex Pedersen was vice president of media company Jysk Fynske Medier and a professional cyclist who took part in organising the Giro d’Italia in Herning and Horsens in 2012.

“The best cycling city in the world"

The slogan of the Danish Grand Départ is “The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world", with the latter title conferred by the Copenhagenize Index.

There are 5.6 times as many bikes as there are cars in Copenhagen, with almost half of the locals cycling to work and school on 379 kilometres of designated cycling paths.

In 2015 Denmark was named the most bike-friendly country in Europe by the European Cyclist Federation. Cycling accounts for 26 per cent of all trips less than 5 kilometres in Denmark and 16 per cent of all trips. The average Dane cycles 1.6 km per day. The country has 12,000 km of marked cycling paths.

Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen said: “Biking is a vital part of the lifestyle in Copenhagen where bikes actually outnumber cars. Copenhagen is a true bike and a top event city – ranking number 8 at Sportcal’s Global Sports Cities Index. Copenhagen is therefore the perfect place for a Grand Départ, and we are looking forward to welcoming the world of existing and going-to-be bike enthusiasts to our city.”