Ireland and Northern Ireland had declared in 2022 that they would launch a cross-border bid to host the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2026 or 2027, but the process has been derailed amid tight budgets, the Irish Independent reported this week. [A spokesperson for Tourism Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland told the Irish Independent that officials in the north and Tour de France organizer ASO, revealed that numerous discussions regarding the proposal had broken down after the Northern Department of Economic Affairs notified its partners of its withdrawal.

"Given that the project was conceived for all the islands of the North and South, the Department is not in a position to proceed beyond the planning stage at this time, but will remain in contact with the Tour de France organizers with a view to a possible future bid," the statement said.

"The Tour de France organizers are aware of this position and are open to reviving the co-hosting proposal at a future date.

The Tour de France began in Ireland in 1998, with two stages in Dublin and one in Cork.

Grand Tours are allowed an extra rest day for starts from abroad, and the organizers of the Giro d'Italia took advantage of this for the last Irish cross-border Grand Tour stage in Belfast and Dublin.

The last time the Tour de France visited the UK was in 2007, when the start was held in London, and in 2014, when the Grande Parle was held in Yorkshire.