The 106e edition of the Tour de France start on July 6, 2019 on the Grand place of Brussels. Afterwards, there follows a stage of 192 kilometers, after a passage on the Wall of Geraardsbergen arrival at the Royal Palace in Laeken. That made the organizers Tuesday afternoon announced during a press conference on the museum square in Brussels, in the presence of, inter alia, the Brussels mayor Philippe Close, alderman of Sports Alain Courtois and wielericoon Eddy Merckx.
A beautiful and varied trail with hills and cobblestone sections, that in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia will pass. As emphasized by Thierry Gouvenou, the parcoursverantwoordelijke of organizer Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO). He expects a sprint in the streets of Brussels. “The wide roads shall have a safe final guarantee”, he told. “After the start on the Large Market, it goes via Molenbeek and Anderlecht to the Pajottenland. Then follow Ninove and Geraardsbergen, the climb of the wall of the chapel and the Bosberg. Then there in the direction of Wallonia driven, via Enghien and ‘s-Gravenbrakel is there a loop in Charleroi, then past the Lion of Waterloo, Overijse and Tervuren to return to Brussels.”
The passage in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe is an homage to Eddy Merckx. The Tour starts next year in the capital in memory of the first Tourzege of Eddy Merckx. That will exactly fifty years ago, and was originally celebrated on the balcony of the town hall for a fully-loaded Large Market, what memorable images provided. In the European capital, may also the parc du Cinquantenaire and the European district is not missing, using the small ring goes finally to the Sheet.
Second stage
In the second stage is a team time trial ridden, also with start and arrival in Brussels. After the start at the Royal Palace in the center of the city, there follows a stage of about 28 miles, with a passage to the bois de la cambre. Through the wide avenues of the capital goes then in the direction of the Atomium, where the aankomststreep.
It is the fifth Tourstart ever in our country. Previously went the Tour starts in Liège (2004 and 2012), Brussels (1958) and Charleroi (1975). 47 stages were already on Belgian territory organized. For the second stage, with start and arrival in Brussels, there was a team time trial is chosen, with the arrival of the Atomium. Again with a nod to the past, there was in 1958, after all, Le Grand Départ is held in honour of the world expo in that year.
Alain Courtois: “we Do need no stadium”
After the stadionperikelen and the lack of european football CHAMPIONSHIP in 2020 is the Tourstart is the ideal opportunity for Belgium to the target, again to brush. “For this we need no stadium”, said Alain Courtois, as a Brussels alderman of Sport also involved in the Eurostadion, Tuesday during the circuit performance by.
“The course is the stadium, and even if there is a buurtweg is located, may it drive. You know my opinion about the stadiondossier and the european CHAMPIONSHIPS. I must say that it is a huge tragedy for Belgium. I was, am and remain shocked. Now we can finally show that our country is able to set up a global event, that is, from 1958 ago. We must ask ourselves whether it is normal that we for so long have to wait. Therefore, we have also fought so hard for this Tourstart. It is a great opportunity to in a positive way in the news. The adventure begins today.”
That it is a pricey adventure, is fixed. The start of the Tour de France last summer in Düsseldorf took the German city of 7.8 million euro. At a cost of 15.9 million euros was a yield of approximately 8 million euro. Especially for the security and traffic measures, the costs are higher than air, and allows just two contentious points in Brussels. “Fifteen million euros, that amount seems a bit high. I think that we now have two to three million euros should be found to be a nice event to organize. We had five million to pay to start to organise and then we also need a part to contribute, then everyone knows. You should, however, not with digits. What is the cost of the image of Brussels?”
“No one can make that count, even though that’s the reality. Everywhere we go in Brussels read. And before that we had here in this city, a big event to organize. We can enhance the image of our city to improve. For one week we are the centre of the world. With the Tourstart we are attracting athletes and tourists from around the world. For the hotel and catering industry in Brussels I am, therefore, satisfied. That people are suffering at the moment, they complain because there are less people to come to Brussels. There are already about 4,500 hotel rooms booked, so the economic return will be great. Safety is one of our biggest concerns. With the police, we are sufficiently armed, I think. In addition, there are in the field of infrastructure in a city like Brussels a lot of problems to a round trip reserved to organize. So it was not obvious to a aankomststrook of 350 metres.”
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