The "Pulse of Europe" is also beating in Düsseldorf at the start of the Tour de France

Düsseldorf is united under the banner of the start of the legendary Tour de France: whether clubs, organisations, institutions, neighbourhood gatherings, groups of regulars or private citizens - the people of Düsseldorf are actively involved in the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 (29 June to 2 July) and are contributing to enlivening the route in the state capital in a diversity of ways. Façade and balcony decorations, drum groups and live bands, parties with German pop and street festivals: more than 100 applications have been received by the department for civic engagement of the state capital of Düsseldorf, which coordinates and supports the activities planned or develops them together with the interested fans.

The citizens’ movement of the European advocates "Pulse of Europe" are also contributing to enlivening the route with an action at the start of the Tour. On Sunday, 2 July an the meadow next to the Rhine in Oberkassel, “Pulse of Europe” will greet the 198 cyclists and the TV viewers around the world with a choreography in the blue colours of the European Union.  

On Saturday, 1 July, Düsseldorf’s rowing clubs will escort the racing cyclists with their eight-man teams on the Rhine during the time trials. The rowers will be wearing the colours of the Tour de France jerseys. Düsseldorf’s professional football club Fortuna will also present itself on the Rhine with a giant jersey on a boat. The circling TV helicopter is sure to capture the impressive Tour flower displays in Nordpark and the giant Tour images on the roofs of the Görres grammar school and the town church Johanneskirche.

One hotspot when it comes to enlivening the route on 2 July will be district 7 (Gerresheim, Grafenberg, Hubbelrath, Knittkuhl, Ludenberg) with its mountains classification in Fahneburgstraße at the racecourse.
On the occasion of the 2nd stage of the Tour, a large street festival will also be held on Quadenhofstraße, with the participation of twelve clubs from the district of Gerresheim. At the town hall at Neusser Tor, the gym club Gerresheimer TV will be spinning the gyro-wheels. At TuS Gerresheim, an over-dimensional bicycle with TuS logo and Tour logo will decorate the centre circle of the artificial grass pitch at Heyestraße. On 2 July, the action of Fortuna on a field on Bergische Landstraße 440 will also be an eyecatcher. There, banners and tarpaulins will depict a large cyclist whose wheels consist of the Fortuna logo.

Further information on the enlivening of the route on the occasion of the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 is available on the Internet under: www.duesseldorf.de/letour and www.duesseldorf2017.de

Press releases: www.duesseldorf.de/international/letour/media-portal.html

Images: www.duesseldorf.de/nc/international/letour/media-portal/image-archive.html

About the host city: www.duesseldorf.de/fileadmin/Amt13/grand_depart/pdf/170612_PLD_Basistext_GastgeberinDuesseldorf_englisch.pdf
English - ASO:

Press Releases: www.letour.fr/le-tour/2017/us/press-release.html

Photos & Videos: www.letour.fr/le-tour/2017/us/gallery.html