“Big Bang for the region”
Scharping wants to bring Tour de France to East Germany
Scharping wants to bring Tour de France to East Germany
04/08/2025, 4:48 p.m.
It was a while ago when the Tour de France last stopped in Germany. Now an association around the former Federal Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping wants to provide a return of the world’s largest bike race in 2030. There are already ideas for possible stages.
13 years after the last stop of the Tour de France in Germany so far, the largest cycling stage race in the world is to be launched in East Germany in 2030. This project of the newly founded association “Grand Depart Allenagne” was assumed by the Federal General Meeting of German Cycling (formerly the federal government of German cyclists) with an overwhelming majority and the support for this was assured.
“It should be a big bang for the region,” said Rudolf Scharping, Honorary President of German Cycling since last weekend, at the presentation in Leipzig.
In the 40th year of German unity, the Tour-de France start with three stages is also to succeed with a view to a common European future. The first stage could lead from Dresden to Gera via the Erzgebirge region with the legendary steep wall of Meerane as a symbol of the former peace ride. An idea for the second section is a time trial from Halle to Leipzig. A third stage could lead from Erfurt to Magdeburg.
Income of up to 200 million euros?
According to the current status, the costs would amount to around 20 million euros. In return, the organizers expect revenue for the regions through tourism of 150 to 200 million euros. Thomas Hofmann, President of the Saxon Cyclist Association, emphasized that the financing was primarily wanted with partners from the economy and other sponsors.
One also hopes for the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, based in Leipzig, whose main money providers with Red Bull already own a large cycling team. The public sector, but above all the sports promotion, should not suffer.
According to the association “Grand Depart Allenagne”, there are written declarations of intent of the three prime ministers from Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The next step is to present the project to the Tour-de France organizer Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) and to enter into concrete negotiations.
Scharping sees the project with a promising opportunity, since the ASO has been organizing the Germany tour for years, but also carrying out the big races in Frankfurt and Hamburg. The first talks should take place by summer.
