Let's show '¨Le Tour bosswhy it mustcome here

Today we report how Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has called on Portsmouth to prove it has a passion for cycling as the city steps up its bid to host the world-famous event’s Grand Depart.

The message is simple. Show me how much you want it, or I’ll take it elsewhere.

We believe this is an opportunity that we must not waste.

So that’s why we’ve launched our Bring On Le Tour campaign to help ensure our bid succeeds and the legendary cycle race comes this way in 2019.

Those who remember when Le Tour last arrived in Portsmouth back in 1994, when it became the first city outside Paris to host the start and finish of a leg of the race, will not need any convincing.

They can recall the colour and the excitement and the city being the centre of global attention.

But many others who weren’t there will have seen how Yorkshire benefited by being chosen to host Le Tour stages in 2014.

Imagine the best cyclists in the world riding from Portsmouth out to the beautiful South Downs, finishing back at the seafront and then crossing the Channel to the beaches of Normandy.

TV pictures will be beamed around the world, providing a priceless advert.

Then there’s the revenue that would flow into the local economy as a result of us hosting Le Tour.

There’s also a powerful historical peg, as 2019 will be the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

So please, fill in the form on page 5 or send us an e-mail to support the bid.

You can also help to spread the word on Facebook, or on Twitter by using the hashtag #tourdepompey

Together, we can convince 
M. Prudhomme that 
Portsmouth really should be top of his list.