German Cycling will be the official bearer of the German bid for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France.
The bid to host the start of the 2029 Tour de France is reaching an important next milestone.
Grand Départ Germany e. V. has joined its national cycling federation, German Cycling, as a member. With this, German Cycling officially assumes responsibility for the bid.
For us, this step is of central importance: The bid will thereby be firmly anchored in organized German cycling and will receive a structure commensurate with the size and significance of a potential Grand Départ in Germany.
Since the beginning of 2025, we have been advancing the bid. Under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Hofmann and Andreas Prokop, the association is responsible for the strategic, communicative, and operational work of the bid. This includes ongoing exchange with federal states, municipalities, and partners from sports, business, and politics.
The states of Berlin, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia are currently exploring the possibilities and extent of their participation.
By joining German Cycling, the collaboration that has existed since the club's founding will now be brought together and formalized. For the bid, this means that the operational initiative of Grand Départ Allemagne and the sports expertise of German Cycling will work together under one roof from now on.
The application for 2029 falls in a historically charged year. Forty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, a Grand Départ in Germany should not only be a major sporting event but also a symbol for a united Europe – underpinned by values that also shape sports.
Dr. Thomas Hofmann, Chairman of Grand Départ Germany e. V. and President of the Saxon Cycling Federation, says: „The bid has been closely linked with German cycling from the very beginning. With German Cycling as the carrier, we have the structure that a project of this size requires. We bring experience, a well-coordinated team, and a clear goal: to bring the Grand Départ 2029 to Germany and thereby send a sporting and societal signal."
Rudolf Scharping, Honorary President of German Cycling and Board Member of Grand Départ Allemagne e. V., added: „The Tour de France is the biggest showcase for our sport. Forty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Peaceful Revolution, and 240 years after the French Revolution, a Grand Départ in Germany would be far more than a major sporting event – it would stand for freedom, European unity, and the connecting power of sport. With Grand Départ Allemagne under the umbrella of German Cycling, a team is ready to take responsibility and make more of the application than just an event: an impulse for cycling throughout Germany.“
Bernd Dankowski, President of German Cycling, says:
„As the applicant, German Cycling assumes responsibility for a project with a far-reaching impact beyond elite sports. Together with our state associations and clubs, we contribute the sporting expertise and the broad integration of organized cycling in Germany. Together with Grand Départ Allemagne e. V., we are working to bring the Grand Départ of the Tour de France to Germany.“
With the official endorsement by German Cycling, the bid is entering a new phase. Grand Départ Allemagne will remain the operative unit of the bid and will continue to drive the process forward together with German Cycling.
The goal remains clear: to bring the Grand Départ of the 2029 Tour de France to Central Germany.
