The Berlin Left is not fundamentally opposed to the possibility of Berlin hosting the start of the Tour de France in 2029, but wishes to examine the financial framework in detail before offering any support.
“Given Berlin’s generally difficult budgetary situation, we generally view costly major sporting events with caution. Should the issue be raised during government negotiations, we will have to carefully examine whether there is actually any scope for this in the 2029 state budget,” said Claudia Engelmann, spokesperson on sports policy, to the German Press Agency.
Unlike at the start of the tour, the Left Party had rejected Berlin’s bid for the Olympics, which has since failed. The party won the House of Representatives election and, with its lead candidate Elif Eralp, could provide the Governing Mayor in future.
Tour director fuels German hopes
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme had recently raised hopes of a start in the east and highlighted the historical significance of a Grand Départ in Berlin, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, 40 years after the Peaceful Revolution and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The Tour organiser, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), will decide on the allocation. A decision is expected by early 2027. The so-called Grand Départ usually comprises the team presentation and several days of racing. Plans include a prologue in Berlin and three stages through Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.
The Left: No reliable cost estimate yet
Neither the House of Representatives nor the Sports Committee had as yet passed a resolution on the state’s involvement, said Engelmann. Nor had her parliamentary group yet received a reliable and transparent cost estimate. “In our view, the central question must always be whether these substantial funds are not needed more urgently to renovate our dilapidated sports facilities and to strengthen everyday grassroots sport in Berlin’s boroughs,” said the Left Party politician.
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