After Corsica and Florence, Scotland hopes to host Grand Départ in 2017
Scotland plans to bid to host the Tour de France’s start for the first time.
“The event would have a huge impact if it was held here,” chief executive of EventScotland, Paul Bush told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. “The Tour would probably be based in the host city for up to a week before the first stage started and the impact on the economy would be huge.”
The likely host city for the bid will be Glasgow or Edinburgh
Scotland’s national events agency, EventScotland is behind the bid, the first in the UK since the London start in 2007. Bush said that 2017 would likely be Scotland’s first chance to host the Tour de France’s start, or Grand Départ.
The Tour de France will start in the Vendée department of western France this year, but has started outside the country’s borders 18 times in its 97 editions. In 2012, the race will begin in Liège, Belgium, and last year, it began in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Last month, Corsica’s government cleared the way for the region to host the 2013 start. The son of Italian cyclist Gino Bartali, Andrea, said earlier this month that he would place a bid for Florence to host the 2014 start.
Prior to the start in London, the Tour de France visited England in 1974 and 1994. Ireland hosted the start in 1998 with a prologue and two stages.
Scotland recently won the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. The country is bidding for other top events, as well.
“We want to position Scotland as one of the best locations in the world to host an event over the next few years,” said Bush.
“There are some events, like the Olympics or the World Cup, that Scotland will never be able to host but we are trying to bring more events.”