The Tour de France will start in its home country again in 2028 after two foreign starts. The peloton will roll out of Reims, the home town of Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, for the first stage in 2028. Four days of racing lead through the departments of Marne, Ardennes, Meuse and Moselle. The route connects six stage towns in a region that has been part of the history of the Grande Boucle for over a century. The journey is particularly convenient for fans from Germany: the region in the east of France borders on Germany. However, the exact route has not yet been finalised.
Historical connections to the tour
Metz became the first foreign destination of the Tour de France in 1906 as a German city at the time. In 1956, Reims organised a Grand Départ for the first time with a stage to Liège, where André Darrigade wore his first yellow jersey. In 1938, Gino Bartali wore the coveted jersey in front of Reims Cathedral. In 2019, Julian Alaphilippe delivered a strong performance on the hills near Épernay and started his first day in yellow the next day in front of Reims Cathedral. André Greipel also has fond memories of Reims: he won stage 6 of the Tour de France with a finish in Reims in 2014.
Tour de France 2028 through four départements
The route crosses the northern part of the Département Marne and leads through the Ardennes to Charleville-Mézières. L'Équipe magazine named the town the most sporting town in France. In Verdun in the Département Meuse, the countryside still bears the traces of past wars. Further east, the route leads through Moselle with stops in Metz and Thionville, where influences from different empires and borders meet.
Sporting tradition of the region
Reims produced sporting legends such as the footballers Raymond Kopa and Just Fontaine, who once competed with Real Madrid. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot continues this tradition of champions. The Grand Est region not only connects cities, but also characterises the entire territory through its history and geography, which has helped shape the Grande Boucle since the early years. The Grand Est region was only created in 2016 following an administrative reform and brings together the regions of Alsace, Lorraine and Champagne-Ardenne.
Kristian Bauer
Editor
