Maison du Danemark, Paris, 20th June 2016

1. 00:00 Sign: Tour De France Grand Depart Copenhagen

2. 00:04 SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen:

"We are here today to present our bid for the Tour De France to Denmark. Hopefully we can bring the greatest bicycling race in the world to the best bicycling city in the world - Copenhagen. That's what we are here for."

3. 00:20 Sign: Danish bid to host

4. 00:23 SOUNDBITE (English) Frank Jensen, Lord Mayor of Copenhagen:

"We want to bring Tour De France to Copenhagen but not only to Copenhagen, also too for other cities in Denmark - to Roskilde, to Odense, to Sonderborg and to Vejle. This brings the greatest bicycling race to the whole country of Denmark."

5. 00:41 Poster of Tour De France logo with French and Danish flags

6. 00:45 SOUNDBITE (English) Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister for Business and Growth:

"I think Denmark and also Copenhagen has a lot to offer. It's a great city for bicycling, it's a great city for enjoying life and I think we will also be able to give the spectators and also all the viewers from the TV, give them some good pictures."

7. 01:08 Sign saying Greatest cycling race meets best cycling city

8. 01:13 SOUNDBITE (English) Troels Lund Poulsen, Minister for Business and Growth:

"We have a strong support both in the Danish parliament from all the parties almost but also a lot of municipalities, some of the regions, so it is in fact a united Denmark that now are saying we would like to have the possibility to have this Grand Depart in Denmark."

SOURCE: SNTV

DURATION: 01:42

Denmark's bid to host the 2018 Tour de France Grand Depart was launched in Paris on Monday (20th June).

SCRIPTING INFORMATION:

Denmark is a country made for cyclists and now the country are looking to build on that reputation by launching a bid to host the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in 2018.

Their minister for Business and Growth, Troels Lund Poulsen, and the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, launched the official Danish Bid to host the Grand Depart in Paris on Monday.

Succesfully hosted by Yorkshire in England in 2014, the first stage of the Tour brings colour, excitement and a huge profile to the chosen location, something business leaders hope will have an impact not just on the Danish capital but right across the country.

They have the infrastructure and now the official bid also has support both from parliament and the regions, as well as citizens of Denmark.