Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme unveiled a plaque today in Rotterdam, where the next Tour de France will start on July 3, 2010. Prudhomme put up the sign at a bike path near the Maas river, in the pouring rain.
Prudhomme was a bit surprised at the arrival in Rotterdam, when he saw the bikes parked outside the train station. “There must have been thousands,” he said according to ANP. However, Prudhomme is aware of the sporting side of things. “I know the passion for bicycling in this country and I know that you can hold important bike races. I really want it to be July already!”
In the celbration of the honor to have the start of the Tour, Prudhomme was assisted by the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, as well as former pros Jan Janssen, Joop Zoetemelk and Leontien Zijlaard-Van Moorsel.