Cycling: Utrecht wants to make history. So far, no city in the world has been the destination for stages of all three Grand Tours. After the Dutch city hosted the Grand Depart for the Tour de France in 2015 and hosted the Giro d'Italia in 2010, the Vuelta a Espana is now being targeted for 2020. The Tour of Spain should even start in the Netherlands. There are also other plans: Utrecht may also apply to host the Road World Championships and the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2025.
Utrecht wants the Grand Slam
Utrecht has big plans. French sports newspaper L'Equipe reports that the Dutch city is now also interested in hosting the start of the Vuelta a Espana. The area, which is enthusiastic about cycling, has already enjoyed the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in recent years. If Cor Jansen from Business Peloton Utrecht has his way, other goals should be tackled immediately.
Cor Jansen:
“After the experiences with the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, the next step is the Vuelta. It would only be logical. We aim to be the first city in the world to have been a stop on all three Grand Tours. We want to complete this Grand Slam and we also want to try to bring the Tour de France to our streets in 2025.”
Après avoir accueilli le #Turn and the Tour de France, Utrecht is a porte candidate to accueillir the grand départ de la #Vuelta in 2020 🚲 https://t.co/W30iZ9NXj2 Trickle
— Julie Dremière (@ju_drem) 23 January 2018
Government funding required
As a city that is enthusiastic about cycling, you shouldn't have bad luck actually bringing the Vuelta a Espana to the Netherlands. In order for the dream of the Vuelta, the Tour and the World Cycling Championships to come true, however, government funding is required.
Did you know who won the 2010 Giro d'Italia and the 2015 Tour de France in Utrecht? The second stage of the Tour of Italy led the peloton from Amsterdam to the city in question. It ended in a bunch sprint that Tyler Farrar won ahead of Matthew Goss and Fabio Sabatini. Five years later, the Tour de France was held here Individual time trial in Utrecht discharged. Rohan Dennis triumphed in front of Tony Martin and Fabian Cancellara. André Greipel won the next stage after Neeltje Jans.
Nog 233 days. In 2010, Utrecht also created a large circle in front: Farrar won two rit Giro. #tdf2015 #tdfutrecht pic.twitter.com/oFy8T2UI9g
— Thomas Sijtsma (@ThomasSijtsma) 13 November 2014