Why did the Tour de France start in Denmark?
In July 2022, Denmark proudly hosted the first three days of the Tour De France.
The first stage saw a 13km sprint through the streets of Copenhagen, while the next two days were more traditional longer distance travels from Roskilde to Nyborg (202km) and Vejle to Sønderborg (182km) the following day.
It was a really special event for the Scandinavian nation, with Danes lining the streets to cheer the competitors along the length and breadth of the country.
As a non-Dane living in the country, it was fantastic to get the chance to see this spectacular event without having to travel to France. In fact, I had to walk about 100 metres from my front door to see some of the world’s greatest athletes whizzing past.
It does beg one question though…
Why was Denmark chosen to host the Tour de France?
Stated simply, it’s because Denmark has a long tradition of cycling and is internationally recognised as one of the finest nations in the world to jump on a bike and ride.
The starting point, Copenhagen, is arguably the best city in Europe for cycling, with almost 50% of the workforce (including myself) commuting via bike on a daily basis across the capital’s 400km of bike lanes. Across the whole nation, it is still an impressive 15% of all journeys that take place on the bike saddle.
Since the start of the last century, the Danish government has been very active in putting the infrastructure in place for cycling to become an important part of the culture. In the last 15 years alone, the Copenhagen authorities have spent over €100 million on projects aimed at helping encourage bike travel, including 12 "motorways" exclusively built for cyclists and five dedicated bridges. It’s this example which the Tour de France’s organisers want to place the spotlight on, as they seek to encourage other nations to prioritise cycling over driving, particular in urban spaces.
Of course, it’s not the first time the Tour de France has started abroad, they’ve been doing that since 1954 when it started in Amsterdam. However, it is the first time a Scandinavian nation has been chosen as the start point, so there is good reason for the Danes’ pride!
Why is cycling so popular in Copenhagen?
It tells you something that the city even has its own term in urban planning: to "Copenhagenise" meaning to prioritise pedestrian and bike users instead of vehicles.
As I mentioned above, the authorities in Copenhagen have spent big on cycle-friendly projects, as well as ‘green-zones’ which aim to minimize the stopping at traffic lights and allow cyclists to keep up a constant speed throughout the city.
There is of course the issue of geography. Denmark is a small country with small distances involved in trips. Combine this with the fact that there are literally no mountains and Copenhagen is as flat as a pancake and you start to see why bike culture has become so successful here.
Cheaper than a bus ride
The Grand Départ on July 1st 2022 was the most northerly stage of the Tour de France ever. It is estimated by the Copenhagen authorities, that the mass commuting by bike saves one million days of work stoppage and creates more than €130 million in savings annually.
Combine that with the fact hopping on a bike is cheaper than the bus or metro in the city, and often a lot faster, and you see why the Tour’s organisers are so keen to shine the spotlight on the Danish capital.
Stay tuned for more on the bike culture in Denmark and Scandinavia!
If you are interested in finding out more about Scandiculture, you can explore some of my other articles here:
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