Slovenia has become one of the powers in the world of cycling, especially thanks to Pogacar and Roglicwhich in recent years has shared most of the prominent competitions with the Danish Jonas Vingegaard. This enthusiasm for cycling made the Slovenian nation look to go one step further and host an iconic moment in competitive cycling.
And as he explained Rok Lozejhe president of the Slovenian cycling committeein a statement given to Tuttobiciweb, confirmed that the country is in talks with the organizers of the Tour de France to host the first stage of the race, the Grand Départ, in 2029.
“Yes, we do,” Rok said. “The ideal is to organize the start of the 2029 Tour de France. Of course, that will cost a lot of money, but not as much as people think».
One of the main reasons Lozej advocated for accepting the Tour’s departure was because they intended to honor a previous winner of the competition, Ottavio Bottecchia. The Italian won the Tour in 1924 and 1925, but died in 1927. The recognition is also due to the fact that Ottavio lived in a region of Italy bordering Slovenia.
“If the Tour started in Slovenia, We can agree with our neighbor (Italy, ed.) that a stage will pass partly on these roads“, as a tribute to this great Venetian champion,” said Rok, who sees the agreement as very possible.
The start of the Tour will be special for Pogacarwinner of 3 Tours in the last 5 years, and who in 2029 will be 30 years old. In addition, Tadej has a contract until 2030 with UAE Emirates XRG, so his participation in the Tour is more likely.
On the other hand, Roglic it will be more complicated. The Red Bull-BORA rider I will come to the appointment at the age of 40although it is not unlikely that he will push and extend his career to experience the special moment for cycling in his country.
Source: La Verdad
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