The route of the 2016 Tour de France has only just been revealed at a ceremony in Paris on Monday but there is already suggestions a 2017 German Grand Depart in Dusseldorf will become reality. The German city has been linked with the Tour since London pulled out of the bid for 2017.
"Germany is a very important country in Europe. There is a lot of enthusiasm. We are working with several different cities on a return to Germany and I hope that it will become reality," Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme told DPA.
The Tour de France last visited Germany in 2005 with a stage finish in Karlsruhe and stage start in Pforzheim. In the ten years since the Tour's last visit, Germany cyclists have become regular winners at the Tour de France with sprinters Andre Greipel winning 13 stages and Marcel Kittel eight, four in 2013 and four again in 2014. Kittel also wore the first yellow jersey's in those two editions of the race.
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"Dusseldorf is known as a sports city. I would be delighted if the Tour de France were to come to this city of sport. It would be nice to experience something like that in my career," said Greipel.
Three-time World Champion Tony Martin has also enjoyed success at the Tour, winning five stages and wearing the yellow jersey in this year's edition of the race and welcomes a German grand depart.
'The hope and wishful thinking is there. It would be awesome for German cycling, the fans and for me of course," Martin said.
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