The Tour de France could be headed for its northernmost grand depart in its history with Copenhagen formally expressing its interest in hosting the French grand tour between 2019-2021. The Danish capital previously hosted the Giro d'Italia grande partenza in 2012 and the 2011 World Championships.
The Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, and the Danish Minister for Trade and growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, were on hand at a press conference in Danish House on the Champs Elysées with Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme to hand over its application for a grand depart.
Should the capital city be successful, there would be three days of racing, starting with a 10km time trial and two days for the sprinters with stage finishes in Odense and Sønderborg.
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"We are proud to receive Copenhagen's official candidature, which underlines the attraction that the Tour can have outside of France," said Prudhomme who was also also invited to Copenhagen by the Prime Minister on behalf of the delegates. "Showcasing the Tour abroad is to also showcase France. Of course, it would be a huge challenge because it would be the northernmost start in the Tour's history."
The 2014 Leeds Grand Depart is the furthest north the Tour de France has started in its 102 previous editions.
For Jensen, the mayor since 2010, the bid would be a celebration of the bicycle and further cement the status of Copenhagen as a cycling city.
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