Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Belgium on 6 and 7 July

This year, the riders in the Tour de France are starting in Brussels. As the setting for the first days of this world-famous bike race, ‘uniquely phenomenal’ Belgium will spend the weekend in the spotlight.  

Festivities:

The ‘fan park’ on Place de Brouckère will open on Thursday 4 July at 2pm, and will stay open until Sunday evening.  Also on that Thursday, from 3pm to 7.45pm, the team presentations will be held in the Grand-Place, alongside other entertainment on stage.

The first stage of the Tour is on Saturday 6 July, and the starting gun will be fired at 12 noon on Place Royale. The route is 194.5 km and takes in, among other places, Geraardsbergen, Enghien, Charleroi, Villers-la-Ville, Waterloo and Tervuren. The finish will be around 4.45pm in front of the gates of the Castle of Laeken.

The team time trial is taking place in the Belgian capital on Sunday 7 July, starting on the Place des Palais and finishing at the Atomium. The first team will start at 2.30pm, and the last team are scheduled to finish at 4.45pm.

You can find all the info you need about the Tour and the festivities on the website www.brusselsgranddepart.com

Getting around:

Please note: on these days, some roads will be closed, parking restrictions will be put in place, and there will be some hindrance to public transport. We advise you to leave your car at home and take the metro, train or other available options. On Saturday 6 July and Sunday 7 July, STIB-MIVB's metros, trams and buses will all be running free of charge. Go to the website of STIB-MIVB to find out about diversions and interruptions to tram and bus lines.

For all info about mobility in Brussels during the start of the Tour, you can check the Mobility section of the Brussels Grand Départ website.

The federal government is a partner of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2019. It's a unique opportunity to show the whole world that Belgium is uniquely phenomenal!