As Slovenia’s cycling sensation Tadej Pogačar prepares for a potential fourth Tour de France title this year, an ambitious initiative has been launched for Slovenia to host the Grand Depart of the iconic race in 2028 or 2029.
Tomaž Ambrožič, founder and director of Sport Media Focus, the agency behind the L’Etape Slovenia by Tour de France recreational cycling event, revealed to the rtvslo.si news site that French organisers are open to the proposal.
The idea has also been presented to Matjaž Han, Slovenia’s Minister of the Economy, Tourism, and Sport, by Matjaž Rakovec, the Mayor of Kranj, which has hosted the L’Etape Slovenia race since 2022.
The Tour de France traditionally begins with three stages in a different city or region each year, frequently outside France. Recent Grand Depart locations include Copenhagen, Bilbao, and Florence, with Lille set to host this year and Barcelona next year. The event is expected to return to the UK in 2027 for the third time.
Slovenia’s bid reflects the country’s growing prominence in the world of cycling and aims to leverage its passion for the sport to bring the Tour’s spotlight to one of Europe’s most scenic landscapes.
