Slovenia wants to host the 2029 Tour de France Grand Depart
Slovenia, the small European nation that has dominated men's road cycling in recent years with Primož Roglič and now Tadej Pogačar, wants to take the next step expanding its role in the sport. Slovenian media reports that the government has sent a proposal to Tour de France promoter ASO about hosting the race's Grand Depart in 2029.
The proposal, announced by Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob in a press conference, reportedly bids roughly €10 million to host the first three stages of the race. If successful, it would mark the Tour's second-most remote foreign start, after the 2022 Grand Depart in Denmark.
The Tour has had a foreign start 26 times in its history. The 2026 and 2027 editions are also set to start outside France, with the 2026 edition getting underway in Spain's Catalonia region, while the 2027 Tour will start in Edinburgh, Scotland. The 2028 Tour Grand Depart has yet to be awarded, but will likely be an entirely domestic affair partly due to logistics around the Los Angeles Olympics, which pose a calendar conflict.
