PARIS: Yorkshire’s success in staging the Tour de France’s Grand Depart this year has ignited strong overseas interest in welcoming future editions of cycling’s Blue Riband.
After the massive interest stirred up by the northern English county’s participation, Britain has proposed several fresh future candidate venues for the Grand Depart, among them Manchester, Edinburgh and London, scene of the 2007 start.
Belgium has suggested Brussels and Antwerp, Germany has put forward Mannheim. Barcelona is the suggestion from Spain while Italy, which has never hosted the Tour, is backing Venice as a candidate for the honour.
Tour organiser Christian Prudhomme has previously said the Tour de France start must be a “natural” affair - “we have to be able to return to France in 3-4 days so there’s no break”.
Next year’s race sets off from the Dutch city of Utrecht for what will be the event’s 21st overseas start.
Details of the 102nd Tour are due to be unveiled in Paris on Wednesday, less than nine months before the July 4, 2015 start, the sixth time the Tour has begun in the Netherlands.
The only confirmed details for next year’s renewal are the two opening days action in Holland.
AFP
