The Tour de France Grand Depart in Copenhagen has been rescheduled for 2022 to avoid a conflict with the European soccer championships scheduled for next summer.

The 2021 Tour was originally scheduled for Friday, July 2, with a 13 km time trial in Copenhagen, followed by two stages in Denmark.

However, due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Euro 2020 were postponed until next summer, forcing the Danish Grande Parle to be postponed until 2022.

Due to the Olympic schedule change, the 2021 Tour will start a week earlier than originally scheduled, on the weekend of June 26, which results in the Grande Parle clashing with the second round of Euro 2020 in Copenhagen.

On Monday, the local organizing committee for the Danish Grande Pearl confirmed that the Tour will start in Copenhagen in 2022 instead of 2021.

"We are happy that we have succeeded in starting the Tour of Denmark in 2022. Many people have been looking forward to next year's Tour de France in Denmark, but unfortunately we will have to wait a little longer," Copenhagen Mayor Frank Jensen said in a statement posted on the organizing committee's website.

"In the meantime, the Danish people can look forward to an even bigger celebration of the yellow race in 2022, when the start of the Tour will not be squeezed by the European Championships or the Olympic Games.

The Danish Minister of Trade and Industry described the postponement as "the best solution in this particular situation."

In a statement on Monday, Grande Pearl Copenhagen Denmark said it "unanimously chose to accept ASO's offer to move the start of the Danish tour to 2022," and that "a formal agreement needs to be signed with ASO and approval by the city council and state A political process is required," he added.

The 2022 Tour start is expected to maintain the three Danish stages already planned for 2021. The race will start with a 13 km individual time trial in Copenhagen, with the second stage from Roskilde to Nyborg. The third and final Danish stage will be 182 km from Vejle to Sønderborg.

ASO has not yet announced an alternative venue for the 2021 Tour Grande Palais, but Le Télégramme Le Télégramme reports that the region of Brittany has been mentioned as a possible starting venue.