An island of Ireland bid to host the Tour de France Grand Depart in either 2026 or 2027 has been withdrawn.
Irish Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin, and former NI Economy Minister Gordon Lyons, had submitted an expression of interest in the formal bidding process to the Tour organisers.
However, the Department for the Economy (DfE) confirmed it could not progress its interest due to “funding reductions this year and a lack of certainty about the budget position in future years”.
In a statement, the DfE said: “Unfortunately, due to funding reductions this year and a lack of certainty about the budget position in future years, the Department for the Economy had to take the decision that it could not progress to the development of a feasibility study for the all-island bid to host the Tour De France, Le Grand Depart in 2026 or 2027.
“The Department does not rule out taking part in a future feasibility assessment of co-hosting this event, should the opportunity arise.”
In a written answer to a question during a debate in the Dail, Irish Sports Minister Thomas Byrne said the DfE had written to his department in July to say it had ceased work on a bid.
“The Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world and, during 2022, Minister Martin engaged with her counterpart in Northern Ireland, the then-minister for the economy, regarding a potential joint bid to co-host the opening three stages of the race, the Grand Depart,” said Byrne.
“Departmental officials engaged with counterparts in Northern Ireland and established a project group to scope out the details of a possible bid.
“In July 2023 the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland wrote to my department to advise that it had decided to cease work on the potential for a joint bid.
“As any hosting bid was envisaged as a north-south all-island initiative my department is no longer pursuing a bid and this has been communicated to the event organisers.
“Should the opportunity arise again to consider a bid to host the Grand Depart, whether jointly or singly, the experience gained in the process outlined above will be of use to any such future consideration.”