ASO wants the Grand Départ of the 2029 Tour to be in Berlin, the year that marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Wall

Le Tour de France has already started four times in Germany. In 1965 the Grand Départ took place in Cologne, in 1980 it was Frankfurt’s turn, in 1987 it was West Berlin, and the last time was in the city of Düsseldorf in 2017.

In 2029, the 40th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall will be celebrated, and there is now clear symbolism at play. Although there is strong competition for that year, especially from Prague and Slovenia, ASO’s wish is for the race to start in Germany.

“We were informed of ASO’s desire for Berlin to get involved in the project,” said Andreas Prokop, vice-president of Grand Départ Allemagne, to Der Tagesspiegel.

This news therefore brings new circumstances to be analysed. Firstly, because Germany was initially expected to host the Grand Boucle in 2030, and Berlin had never been a city under consideration.

Secondly, because a Grand Départ in Berlin brings a whole set of obstacles that need to be examined before any step can be taken. Germany’s State Secretary for Sport, Franziska Becker, clarified that there is currently “no formal request” for a Grand Départ of the Tour.

At the end of December 2025, the Grand Départ 2030 association requested support, and Berlin then declared a fundamental interest, but explicitly without organisational, financial or legal commitments.

Furthermore, Berlin has raised questions regarding costs, contractual matters, security and traffic management, among other issues.

Andreas Prokop confirmed what Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme had already publicly hinted at, that ASO wants to see the country’s capital included in the bid. “We received the wish for Berlin to be there,” he said.

According to Prokop, discussions with Paris “have been positive”, and ASO’s final decision will only come in the summer of 2027. The same official remains optimistic despite the outstanding issues.

2025 – Lille (France)

2024 – Florence (Italy)

2023 – Bilbao (Spain)

2022 – Copenhagen (Denmark)

2021 – Brest (Brittany, France)