Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 great opportunity for the state capital

For the first time in 30 years, the Tour de France is starting in Germany again - and the host city of Düsseldorf is pursuing great goals through the organisation of the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017.

Mayor Thomas Geisel: “The start of the epic French Tour is a great opportunity for the state capital and the whole region - for our city marketing, for Düsseldorf as a keen sporting community with over 400 clubs active in grassroots sport, and also for Düsseldorf as a metropolis with 630,000 inhabitants, which consciously aims to promote the bicycle as a means of transport. The Grand Départ is also a great opportunity for Germany as a sporting nation to successfully position itself as a host for major events. Düsseldorf is a master of such major events - as the many spectators along the route as well as millions of people at their TV screens in Germany and abroad will be able to see for themselves. In addition, with the start of the Tour de France, Düsseldorf also sends a very strong signal of the friendship between Germany and France, between Paris and Düsseldorf.”

Düsseldorf set to become a bicycle city
The Grand Départ is also an excellent opportunity to promote the bicycle as an attractive, healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport. Düsseldorf has set itself ambitious goals here. The proportion of cyclists in the overall traffic volume is to be increased. This includes the expansion of the bicycle infrastructure, such as bicycle paths and parking facilities. The focus is on the implementation of a citywide cycling network with a total length of about 300 kilometres. The whole thing is organised under the umbrella of the citywide initiative "RADschlag - Düsseldorf tritt an".

Düsseldorf is a master of major sporting events
However, it is also a great opportunity and a sign for the sporting city of Düsseldorf and the sporting state of North Rhine-Westphalia, that the biggest sporting event of 2017 is starting in the Rhine metropolis Düsseldorf. Especially in a year without Olympic Games, and without football World Cup and European Championships, the Tour de France is even more in focus. In addition, the entire Tour de France 2017 will be broadcast worldwide in over 190 countries.

Düsseldorf is a sporting city
Also from a sporting point of view, the state capital is extremely well positioned: top clubs and traditional associations in sports such as football, ice hockey and table tennis play in the top German leagues. Popular sports with over 400 clubs and countless varieties, have something for everyone. For the grassroots sport and for the cycling clubs wishing to attract new members, the Grand Départ is a unique opportunity to rouse interest in cycling as a sport.

Strong signal of the Franco-German friendship - and for Europe
With the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017, the Tour de France is starting in Germany again after 30 years - in 1987 the cyclists started in Berlin. Thus, the Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 also sends a strong signal of the Franco-German friendship.

Best advertising for the city of Düsseldorf
With great pictures on television and in the Internet, Düsseldorf can present itself globally in 2017 as a town that is open to the world, friendly and diverse, and thus raise its profile ever further. The original and very conservatively calculated media value is 30 million Euros - but it could be significantly higher.
Here Düsseldorf can present itself as it is - as the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital with cosmopolitan charm and Rhenish joy of living.

The attractive city on the Rhine stands for fashion, shopping, culture and exceptional events. From Königsallee, affectionately called "Kö", one of Europe’s most luxurious shopping boulevards, it is only a stone’s throw to the historic old town with its 260 bars and restaurants. Its flair is world-famous, the alleys pulsate with life, and the multi-faceted cultural scene offers spectacular events and exhibitions. The art academy as well as more than two dozen museums and exhibition halls, Schloss Benrath (palace), the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (theatre), the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (opera), the Tonhalle (concert hall), over a hundred galleries, numerous stages, cabaret and variety shows and many concert halls make Düsseldorf a recognised cultural metropolis. Major annual events such as the carnival procession on Shrove Monday, Japan Day Düsseldorf/NRW, the “Biggest fair on the Rhine”, the Christmas market and the jazz rally also attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.
The Rheinuferpromenade on the bank of the Rhine, one of Düsseldorf’s most popular meeting places, leads to the Media Harbour with the buildings by international star architects such as Frank O. Gehry. The Media Harbour has now become a popular hot spot. Numerous bars, bistros and restaurants invite visitors to enjoy coffee, cool beers, cocktails and culinary delights until the late evening hours.
Düsseldorf is a leading economic centre in the heart of Europe, a lively, modern city with more than 635,000 inhabitants. Messe Düsseldorf organises around 50 trade fairs at the Düsseldorf location, 24 of which are globally leading fairs. Düsseldorf Airport is one of the world’s most modern airports and is considered the gateway to the world of North Rhine-Westphalia.
When it comes to quality of life, Düsseldorf is one of the world’s leading cities (ranked 6, study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2017). Therefore, not only the inhabitants feel at home, but also the growing number of visitors. With over 4.6 million overnight guests and numerous day visitors, Düsseldorf is one of the most popular destinations in Germany for city trips.
Organisation and finances
The city of Düsseldorf has organised the hosting of the Grand Départ for 18 months. The project manager Theresa Winkels was supported here by ten subproject control groups, which, alongside competent employees of the specialist departments and the project team, also included other responsible posts such as colleagues from the trade fair, the Rheinbahn and the police as required. They were supported by external service providers, above all the Event Director Sven Teutenberg and the LaBici Sport Management. The revenues for the entire project Grand Départ Düsseldorf 2017 currently amount to 7.94 million Euro. The revenue target is 7.975 million. The planned expenditure according to the project plan is 13.02 million Euro.