Danish newspaper BT has reported the country's Industry Minister, Brian Mikkelsen, as confirming that Denmark will not host the Tour De France’s Grand Départ in 2019.
The news comes despite the Amaury Sport Organisation, which owns the race, earlier appearing keen to see the race start there.
Having officially expressed an interest in hosting the race, Frank Jensen, the Mayor of Copenhagen had described the Départ as ‘a unique opportunity to show off our country and to encourage the rest of the world to take up cycling.’
ASO had also seemed positive with race director Christian Prudhomme saying the organiser was ‘proud to receive Copenhagen's official candidature, which underlines the attraction that the Tour can have outside of France.’
He did however mention the huge logistical challenge that would be involved in putting on the northernmost start in the Tour's history. These challenges may have proved insurmountable for 2019.
In speaking with the minister, Prudhomme mentioned the huge, worldwide interest hosting the Grand Départ, but suggested he would like to see it one day leave from Denmark.
With Portsmouth in the UK having already dropped out the favourite must now be Brussels in Belgium.
The city is hoping to host the Tour de France to coincide with fifty years since Belgium’s most famous native son, Eddy Merckx scored his first Tour de France win.