Tour de France to start in the Netherlands in 2015
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The 2015 Tour de France will start in the Dutch town of Utrecht in 2015, the organisers of the world-famous biking event announced on Friday.
The Netherlands are set to host the start of the race for the sixth time in 2015. Past foreign hosts include Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Ireland and Monaco.
The tour will be starting in the northern British town of Leeds, Yorkshire, next year.
"We have long sought to get the start of the Tour in Utrecht, a city that has close historic ties with cycling," said Erik Suik, spokesperson for the Utrecht mayor.
Although more distant countries such as Japan, Canada and Qatar have also offered to host the Tour de France, so far its organisers are loath to venture so far.
"The Tour is a return to the French borders by bike for me, involving the crossing of the Mediterranean or the Channel perhaps. But we have to be able to get back to France within three to four days, without any interruptions," said Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France.
Further details concerning the start of the 2015 race will be announced at the end of November.
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