ASO talks about German Tour start in Berlin, 40 years after the fall of the wall

Will the 2029 Tour de France start in the center of Berlin? Behind the scenes, the ASO is in talks with the organization Grand Depart Allemagne, according to Der Tagesspiegel. This association has been working for some time to secure the Grand Départ of the Tour de France.

It has long been known that Tour organizer ASO is considering a return to Germany, but initially, the plan was for the start of the 2030 Tour de France. However, new talks between the parties reveal that ASO prefers a German Grand Départ in 2029, in the capital city of Berlin.

"We have been informed of ASO’s wish to involve Berlin in the project," says Andreas Prokop, vice chairman of Grand Depart Allemagne, to Der Tagesspiegel. This is all closely related to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The year 2029 marks the 40th anniversary of this significant event and is more than a good reason for ASO to start the Tour from Berlin at that time.

For the fifth time?

The Tour de France has started in Germany four times already. In 1965, the Tour took off from Cologne, in 1980 Frankfurt had the honor, in 1987 West Berlin was responsible for Le Grand Départ, and Düsseldorf hosted it in 2017.

This would alter the original concept of the German Tour bid. The idea was originally to organize a fully East German start of the Tour de France in 2030; Berlin was initially not an option. However, Prokop emphasizes that the historical elements of the Peace Race—the legendary cycling race through East Germany, Poland, and Czechoslovakia—will be preserved.

Complications
Although the signals from Paris are positive, the situation in Berlin seems more complicated. This became clear during a recent meeting of the Sports Committee of the Berlin House of Representatives. State Secretary for Sports Franziska Becker clarified that at this moment there is "no formal application" for a Tour start. Additionally, questions remain from Berlin concerning costs, contractual matters, as well as security and traffic issues.

Riders take a look at the Berlin Wall during the 1987 Tour - photo: Fotopersburo Cor Vos

Reportedly, the city will only make a decision on a joint official bid after a thorough evaluation. These evaluations are expected to take some time. Prokop states that ASO will announce by summer 2027 at the latest who will organize the 2029 Grand Départ. Despite the outstanding issues, he remains optimistic. According to him, the discussions in Paris were "conducted in a positive atmosphere."