Tour director explains: Why did Herning knife

the World's biggest bike race starting in 2021 in the Danish capital, Copenhagen. It was announced today at a grand press conference at Copenhagen city Hall.

Cycling - 21. feb. 2019 - at. 10:35 Now it's official: the Tour is coming to Denmark!

There have been several attempts to get the Tour de France to Denmark. The first bid came in 1998, when it applied for a Tour-start in Herning, denmark in 2002.

It ended with a refusal, and the same was the subsequent applications to get the Tour off to the heath in 2004 and 2008.

In connection with today's publication of the Tour start in Copenhagen, he says, that there was only a Danish town, which was interesting as the Tour-start.

When I was employed as the deputy director of 15 years ago, there was a bid from Herning (to be the starting location of the Tour. ed.).

- Then we thought, that if there is a day to run the Tour de France in Denmark, so it would be in Copenhagen. Both because Copenhagen is the capital, but also because it is the world's best cycling city, says race director Christian Prudhomme.

A happy Prudhomme at the viking ship museum in Roskilde. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen.

An important factor when selecting a destination for the Grand Departure, is that there is something to show for the French people. Especially the great belt Bridge Tour field passes at the end of the second stage, highlighted by the director as something the French can look forward to.

- When you run the Tour de France outside of France, you need to show viewers more than when they are run in France. For the French have to understand why it is done in other countries.

- There are still people in France who don't understand why we start the course in abroad. But I'm 100 percent sure that in 2021 will understand when they have seen the first three stages, says Christian Prudhomme.

He hopes that the copenhagen-based startup will have the same success, as the English start in Yorkshire. There were many doubters, as the organizers chose the nordengelske area as the Tour-start in the 2014 edition.

- Before the race in Yorkshire, people said: Prudhomme is mad! But after the race there was no one complaining, and it will be the same in Copenhagen. Lots of passion, says Prudhomme.

Herning was in 2012 the host for the start of Italy's biggest cycling race, the Giro d'italia.

What do we know about the Tour de France Grand Départ in Denmark

- the Whole of the Tour de France and the field come to Denmark to run the first three stages in the summer of 2021.

- Start in Denmark has been given the slogan "The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world".

- 900.000 spectators are expected to attend the three stages in Denmark.

- the Budget for the Danish Grand Départ is set to 88 million dollars.

- Tour de France transmiteres in 190 countries and has roughly 3.5 billion tv viewers during the race the world over.

- the Day after the third stage will be held the day of rest, and the teams fly to France.

OVERVIEW: 50.000 traveled to Denmark to see the Giro

Cycling - 21. feb. 2019 - at. 12:33 New Danish Tour-blunder: Appointed wrong målby