Netherlands positive after Tour inspection

Organisers of the Tour de France visited the Dutch city of Utrect last week to carry out an inspection of the course which is proposed as the prologue route for the 2010 Tour de France. Jean-Louis Pagès, the Directeur des Sites for the Tour de France, carried out the technical inspection of the course in a surprise visit.

Utrecht is one of the three candidate cities to host the 2010 prologue, along with Rotterdam, also in the Netherlands, and the German city of Düsseldorf.

Yesterday Pagès presented his findings at Utrecht's town hall. Local spokesperson Harm Janssen was positive after the meeting with the Frenchman. "Pagès inspected all the technical aspects surrounding our bid for the prologue," Janssen told www.ad.nl. "[Pagès inspected] the course and also the logistics of the start and the finish at the Galgenwaard stadium.

"We knew that he was going to do that, but not when," he added. "He had some questions but all in all I have the feeling that he was satisfied."

The decision on which city will host the 2010 prologue will be made by the end of this year.

"Naturally that decision will be made by the directors of the Tour, by Christian Prudhomme," he continued. "But if an experienced adviser like Pagès, who is the only real specialist, says that the Tour start in Utrech is feasible, that certainly has influence. This is definitely a boost and a step in the right direction."