DENMARK FESTIVE IN YELLOW TOUR OPENING WITH CROWN PRINCE
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VNR (5.14 min)
COPENHAGEN
DENMARK
29.6.2022
PRODUCER CONTACT:
Anders Kongshaug
SOURCE: Grand Départ Copenhagen Denmark
& VisitDenmark
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STORY
Tour de France is getting ready to Grand Depart in Denmark, and Denmark is getting ready to depart Tour de France in a grand way.
See here the creative installations made all over Denmark.
In South Jutland and Fyn, where the 2nd and 3rd stages will take place Saturday and Sunday, people have already made several huge bikes that they hope the helicopters will film during the race.
In Tivoli, Copenhagen they built a yellow copy of the Eiffel Tower filmed here with time-lap over night. The first stage starts at 16.00 Friday in Copenhagen City.
The Tour de France riders made a gala performance driving on Copenhagen’s famous bike lanes and roads, while thousands of people was watching full of enthusiasm along the 1.5 km route
Crownprince Frederik of Denmark was also enthusiastic and said: “This is extremely big. I mean, look at this. The best of the best surroundings you can possibly have. I think it’s a big event that is going to grow even bigger”, and he added: “I think it’s just amazing”.
The yellow jersey will be won by one of the 176 riders from the 22 teams, but Head of Tour de France Christian Prudhomme feels the Danish spectators are the first getting the yellow jersey this year.
“It’s just unbelievable. Amazing. This team’s presentation and the many, many people, but not only many people – many people with passion,” and Christian Prudhomme added,”It is just magnifique”.
Denmark’s World Champion from 2019 Mads Petersen tries to explain the enthusiasm: “I think it’s more the culture and the fans. Denmark has such a big cycling culture. And I think that appeals to the soul”.
Former rider Bernie Eisel and now expert on EuroSport was astonished by the crowds.
“What I’ve heard from the riders, It’s an incredible atmosphere. We know how crazy the Danish are for cycling. I’ve seen it many times myself at the Tour de France. I’m looking forward to a Grand Depart here and just seeing that vibe“.
Danish Jonas Vingegaard came second in last year’s Tour de France and is ready to fight for the victory this year.
Danes bike a combined total of 8 million kilometers (5 million miles) per day and are one of the world’s most biking people in the world.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, 54 continuous:
“I think it’s great that we have one of the biggest sports events worldwide to start in Denmark. I think it’s something that just confirms that we are on top of that with biking, but also we have pros, professionals here, who are ready to drive themselves out, basically”.
The 2nd stage will start in the old Viking city Roskilde and drive through countrysides with grand Viking history on Vest Zealand. The 2nd stage ends crossing The Great Belt Bridge – Europe’s longest hanging bridge at 18 km.’
The bridge will close in both lanes for the first time ever.
Test races have been held with Danes wanting to drive The Tour de France route through the Danish countryside. A pre-race over the Great Belt Bridge has also been held showing a strong western wind on the bridge, that now is feared by the Tour de France riders, because 2nd stage ends on the other side of the bridge in Nyborg.
The Great Belt bridge is lighted up in yellow during the night to remind all about the unique event coming up.
Another bridge is also yellow, however painted yellow. In Aabenraa, South Jutland, where the 3rd. stage of Grand Départ t in Denmark ends on the big boulevard Sunday.
Decorations on the roof of “Danish Industry” building in Copenhagen are made all over the country in hope to be seen and filmed by the helicopters following the tour.
Fireworks in Tivoli also made yellow lightning up the summer sky, because Denmark is honored hosting the Grand Départ of Tour de France 2022 in Denmark.
END
SHOT
- DRONE DRAWING A BICYCLE ON GRASS, AABENRAA, SOUTHJUTLAND
- DRONE: YELLOW STONES BEING PLACED CREATING BICYCLE, AABÆK, SOUTHJUTLAND
- DRONE YELLOW BIKE MADE OF PEOPLE, NYBORG, FYN
- DRONE MECHANICAL BIKE RIDER, AABÆK, SOUTHJUTLAND
- TIMELAPSE EIFFEL TOWER, TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN
- SOUNDBITE CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK OF DENMARK, 54 (NATURAL DK):
“This is extremely big. I mean, look at this. The best the best surroundings you can possibly have. I think it’s a big event that is going to grow even bigger when it’s yellows and it’s just the beginning of the summer. So I think it’s just amazing. It’s always good” - BIKERS RIDING IN COPENHAGEN
- BIKERS RIDING IN TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN
- SOUNDBITE CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME, 61, General Director Of The Tour De France:
“It’s just unbelievable. Amazing. This team’s presentation and many, many people, but not only many people, many people with passion as they leave the presentation. And I said to these people, you have to know, that you are the first in the yellow jersey of the tour 2022 – and that’s true. That’s not only because I’m in Copenhagen, Denmark, because I think it. It is just magnifique”. - SPECTATORS WATCHING IN STREETS OF COPENHAGEN
- SPECTATORS WATCHING FROM TOWER IN FAN-ZONE COPENHAGEN
- BIKERS RIDING IN TIVOLI GARDENS, COPENHAGEN
- SOUNDBITE MADS PEDERSEN, WORLD CHAMPION 2019, RIDER DENMARK
“I think, I think it’s more the culture and the fans. Denmark has such a big cycling culture. And I think that appeals to the soul and I think that they want to experience that” - BABY PLAYING WITH BIKE WHILE FATHER LOOKS, BOTH IN TOUR DE FRANCE SHIRTS
- CROWD AROUND BLOX DESIGN HOUSE, COPENHAGEN
- CROWDS SEEING RIDERS DRIVING UNDER BLOX DESIGN HOUSE, COPENHAGEN
- SOUNDBITE BERNIE EISEL, EUROSPORT PRESENTER:
“What I’ve heard from the writers, I’ve seen only, I think bits, of it, but it’s an incredible atmosphere. We know how crazy the Danish are for cycling. I’ve seen it many times myself at the Tour de France, the spectators on the side of the road, it looks like half of Denmark came to the Tour de France over the years. And just to be on the side of the road, being big cycling fans and this is what we just doubled, tripled here. Philip Pagano said it’s the last time he saw so many people on one spot that was at a soccer ga me and that’s says everything. And it was a really great atmosphere and I’m looking forward to a Grand Depart here and just seeing that that vibe“
- BOATS IN ROSKILDE FJORD
- SOUNDBITE CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK OF DENMARK, 54 (NATURAL DK):
“I think it’s great that we have one of the biggest sports event worldwide to start in Denmark. I think it’s something that just confirms that we are on top of that with biking but also we have pros, professionals here, who are ready to drive themselves out, basically”. - RIDERS CHEERED COPENHAGEN
- CROWD AND RIDERS IN COPENHAGEN
- RIDER ALONG COAST, FAAREVEJLE, VESTZEALAND
- GREAT BELT BRIDGE WITH RIDERS, KORSØR, VEST ZEALAND
- GREAT BELT BRIDGE IN YELLOW BY NIGHT
- YELLOW BRIDGE, AABENRAA, SOUTH JUTLAND
- DANSK INDUSTRY BUILDING WITH TOUR DE FRANCE FLAGS, COPENHAGEN
- TIVOLI GARDENS FIREWORKS
END
EXTRA LINK
Video:
https://we.tl/t-LUAVRIg1xh
SOUNDBITE CHRISTIAN PRUDHOMME, 61,
General Director Of
The Tour De Frances
(NATURAL FRENCH):
LENGTH: 33 sek
“De France:C’est très très impressionnant de voir cette foule nombreuse. Mais des gens qui qui sont heureux, qui connaissent le vélo, qui vive, la présentation qui encourage les champions tous les champions, ce qu’ils ne connaissent pas forcément, mais ceux qu’ils connaissent, qu’ils encouragent encore plus. C’est très impressionnant. J’ai rarement vu une présentation comme ça des coureurs du Tour de France avant une épreuve.
C’est vraiment quelque chose. Copenhague, ce soir, mérite le maillot jaune. Le premier maillot jaune du Tour d’Oman ? Je rêve. Non, Oui, je suis content.
(laughing).”
Facts about cycling in Denmark
- 7 out of 10 of all Danes over the age of 6 own a bike. In Copenhagen, this number is 9 out of 10.
- There are approximately 12,000km of bike routes and bike lanes across Denmark
- Dronning Louise’s Bridge in Copenhagen is one of the most heavily-trafficked cycling stretches in Denmark with more than 40,000 cyclists crossing the bridge daily.
- Bikes outnumber cars by more than 5 to 1 in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen
- Every weekday, cyclists in Copenhagen cover the equivalent distance of 400 editions of the Tour de France – that’s about 1,440,000km
- The Danish Minister of Transportation announced a 10 million Euro investment in further maintaining and improving cycling infrastructure in the city in 2022
- In the past 10 years, Copenhagen has invested 200 million Euros in cycling infrastructure
- Since 2015, Copenhagen has been ranked the world’s top cycling city several times, most recently in 2019.
- In Copenhagen, 44% of all trips to places of work and education are done by bicycle
- Copenhagen has more than 386 km of cycle tracks
Facts & figures on cycling in Denmark
https://www.visitdenmark.com/press/latest-news/facts-and-figures-cycling-denmark
The Tour de France route and Denmark’s other long-distance cycle paths at www.visitdenmark.com/tour-de-france
https://letourcph.dk/sites/letourcph.dk/files/media/document/Pressebooklet%20Paris.pdf