Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz supports the bid for the Grand Départ 2030
Tailwind from Berlin for the Grand Départ
A strong signal from Berlin:
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged his support for the Grand Départ 2030 e. V.'s bid to host the start of the Tour de France.
In a letter dated October 31, the Chancellor expressly acknowledges the joint initiative of the federal states Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, who want to bring the start of the Tour de France to Central Germany in 2030.
„You are campaigning for the world's biggest cycling tour to start in Saxony for the first time, with subsequent stages in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. I am happy to pledge my support for this project“, writes Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
„I would therefore very much welcome it if this prestigious event is seen as a Germany-wide project and we can show internationally that Germany can host an unforgettable sporting event together with Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.“,
it continues.
A milestone for the project
The support from the Chancellery is regarded as Decisive political backing for the current bid. It gives the project a new scope - both nationally and internationally - and underlines the fact that the idea of the Grand Départ 2030 has long since grown beyond a sporting vision.
„This support is far more than just political backing for us - it is confirmation that we are on the right track with our dream“, says Dr. Thomas Hofmann, Board of the Grand Départ 2030 e. V.
„If the Federal Chancellor is behind this project, it shows that Germany can make history - not just in terms of sport, but as a symbol of what three federal states can achieve together“, supplemented Andreas Prokop, Board of the association.
Significance beyond sport
A Grand Départ 2030 in Central Germany would be an event with enormous appeal - economically, in terms of tourism and socially.
With the backing of the federal government, the joint application will now enter a new phase: as a Joint project between sport, politics and the region, which strengthens cohesion and makes Germany internationally visible.
