Cycling: The second stage of the 2017 Tour de France will lead from the starting point in Düsseldorf through the Neandertal to Mönchengladbach. This was announced by tour boss Christian Prudhomme this morning at a specially scheduled press conference. The entire route will be presented to the public on October 18, 2016.
Finally there are more details on the 2017 tour route - after details on the Grand Départ in Düsseldorf were presented some time ago, Christian Prudhomme commented today on the second stage of the Grand Boucle next year. As previously announced, the starting signal will also be given in Düsseldorf and, after a small loop, will lead the drivers through Mönchengladbach. The first sprint ranking of the 2017 Tour will also be held here.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. It’s a fantastic opportunity for this sports-mad city, the region, and for Germany as a sporting nation, given the worldwide media attention a Tour de France receives. The Grand Départ 2017 will be a real asset to Mönchengladbach as a sporting city,” said Mönchengladbach’s Mayor Hans Wilhelm Reiners. While further details of the route have been kept under wraps, it seems certain that the riders will pass through Mönchengladbach’s city center. Reiners is confident that cycling fans from the region, from across Germany, and around the world will line the streets: “We’re expecting a huge turnout who won’t want to miss this mega-event.”
On Saturday, July 1, 2017, the starting signal for the Tour de France 2017 will be given in Düsseldorf with an individual time trial. The day after, it will then be a flat stage in a westerly direction to Mönchengladbach – where exactly the stage destination will be is still unknown at the moment not known. The final route with all the details will be announced by the ASO on October 18, 2016.