the crown prince was there. The prime minister, the Tour manager, economic and business affairs, the lord mayor.

the Head of the Nordic region’s largest cycling team was there also, and all the country’s media was represented, when the grand opening celebration of the Tour de France – Le Grand Départ – Thursday, at a large-scale press conference was placed in Denmark in 2021.

It’s probably still the biggest name in Danish cycling was not there, but, nevertheless, he came to play a role. Bjarne Riis won the race in 1996, and it gave birth to the dream of a Danish Tour-start. Since the smoke Was out of favor because of its dopingfortid, and now it is the question of whether Riis is still welcome in the Tour de France.

– I’m not here to create controversy, said Tour director Christian Prudhomme easier irritated when a reporter brought Riis on the track.

– The, I could possibly say about Bjarne Riis, has no importance for we are looking forward to the Tour de France-start in Copenhagen, Denmark, said Prudhomme.

And why should it have it? He may have a personal opinion to me, but however, I am not the only one who has a past, said Bjarne Riis, equally irritated, when the Extra Leaf is subsequently caught him on the cell phone on the Team Waoos training camp in Lucca.

– now Hear this: If I’m doing a cycling team, so I get on the backlog. If I’m not doing a cycling team, so I get also on the backlog. I meet up for the Tour de France, so I get on the backlog. And meetings I am not up to the Tour de France, so I get also on the backlog.

– On the bottom line is that if I have a cycling team (which must be running the Tour de France, ed.), so it’s my job to get it to work, and to do it in a sound and real way.

– Have I made mistakes? Yes! I have admitted that I have made mistakes? Yes! You know well my position on it here. It makes the most, said Riis, with reference to, as a team owner in the 00’s as the first introduced the biological passport on his World Tour team in the fight against doping.

Team Waoo is Riis’ kontinentalhold. It should have been a World Tour team with the right to run the Tour de France, but Riis’s battle to find sponsors is a mistake. The dream about the Tour live, however, says Riis. Also on the Tour de France in Denmark.

the Requirement is a minimum promotion to the sport’s second-best number, prokontinentalniveau. And even that requires more money than it has so far managed Riis and his associate to find.

– How realistic do you consider it to be, that you can reach to be in 2021?

– What do you expect, actually, that I say? 20, 80, 50, 100 percent? We all know what needs to be done. There must be sponsors. There is nothing new under the sun at the point, said Riis.

– There is so much in the sport right now, so in two years, everything can look very different. Maybe I just have a small flag in a corner somewhere, said Bell with a laugh.

– I think it’s incredible that Denmark has been Tour-in the beginning. It is large, and that is something Denmark can be proud of. It is I myself.

– What thoughts do you have yourself about your past and the Tour de France?

– of Course, I do me some thinking, but that is not something that can be changed. Happened has happened. I can’t avoid that, there are some who have an attitude to me, my past, my person, said Riis.

– But I’m just not the only stage, that has a past. It should be borne in mind.

– We have the ambition to be in the world elite. Absolutely. But even if we want to do, and although we believe that it is not is unrealistic, then is it not safe, it’s going to happen.

– we are quite aware of. But we will be allowed to have ambitions. They do not have them, so that never comes to happen, said Riis.

Danish Prime minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen took a conciliatory tone when he addressed the Riis at yesterday’s press conference.

– I hope in all ways that Bjarne Riis will enjoy it here. I’m quite sure that he will be there and enjoy it, said Løkke Rasmussen.

– I think that one must acknowledge all who have made a great effort in the story.

Bjarne Riis won the Tour de France in 1996 and became a folk hero in Denmark. He became a team owner and led his team to the top of the world ranking through several years.

In 2006, his stjernerytter Ivan Basso denied starttilladelse in the Tour because of its role in bloddopingskandalen Operación Puerto, and the following year admitted Riis, that he had won the Tour by means of doping.

In 2015, left Riis and his team for always, and it closed by the end of 2016. Since Riis worked to make the comeback as the team owner at the highest level.

Bjarne Riis during the celebration of the Tour victory in 1996. Photo: Ole Kjaer

What do we know about the Tour de France Grand Départ in Denmark

– the Whole of the Tour de France and the field come to Denmark to run the first three stages in the summer of 2021.

– Start in Denmark has been given the slogan “The greatest cycling race in the world meets the best cycling city in the world”.

– 900.000 spectators are expected to attend the three stages in Denmark.

– the Budget for the Danish Grand Départ is set to 88 million dollars.

– Tour de France transmiteres in 190 countries and has roughly 3.5 billion tv viewers during the race the world over.

– the Day after the third stage will be held the day of rest, and the teams fly to France.

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