The right direction
At the cube handover in the State Chancellery of Thuringia: from left to right Andreas Prokop (Chairman of Grand Départ 2030 e. V.), Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt (Minister President of Thuringia) and Dr. Thomas Hoffmann (Chairman of Grand Départ 2030 e. V.).
Thuringia, the green heart and the road to the Grand Départ
Not all the dice have been cast yet - but the direction is clear. In Thuringia, the handover of the cube to Minister President Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt was another visible sign of Central Germany's joint bid for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2029/2030.
Germany's green heart beats audibly for cycling. Thuringia is one of the driving forces behind the project, Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt has been supporting the idea since its inception and actively promotes it - both regionally and internationally. For him, one thing is certain: a Grand Départ will only be fully effective if politics, regions and society work together.
The Minister President also brings this conviction to the international stage. In the video message, Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt says verbatim:
I have personally spoken with Emmanuel Macron and also with the German Federal Chancellor about this and have also campaigned for the project, because we are convinced that if everyone pitches in together, it will be a great event. As three central German federal states, we want to show what we've got.
Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt
The heart of cycling meets the green heart of Thuringia - and a region that is aware of its strengths. Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia are thinking about this project together and confidently, with a view to Europe and their own capabilities.
The MDR report from Thuringia can be seen here:
Watch the video message from Thuringia in the ARD media library
Sporting tradition, efficient infrastructure and broad social support form the foundation of this bid. There is still a long way to go - but the direction is right. And that is exactly what matters now.
