Brussels, capital of Belgium and Flanders, has put its name forward as a candidate to organise the Grand Départ or official start of the Tour de France Femmes, a French cycling race for women. Brussels alderman for Sports Florence Frelinx broke the news in the newspaper La DH.
Brussels will also be organising the Cycling Road World Championships in 2030. 2030 is a special year for the kingdom as Belgium will be marking 200th anniversary of its independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Grand Départ of the Tour for women should allow Brussels to make 2030 a big celebration for cycling enthusiasts.
Brussels served as the starting point for the men's Tour de France in 2019 and is now waiting for approval from Tour de France organiser ASO. Starting cities for the 2028 and 2029 editions are also not yet known.
The Tour de France Femmes was revived in 2022 and has only started outside France once before: in Rotterdam in 2024. The 2026 edition will start in Switzerland, after which the United Kingdom will organise the Grand Départ.