COPENHAGEN (VG) Denmark spends at least a quarter of a billion kroner on arranging three stages of this year’s Tour de France. But the content of the agreement with French ASO is top secret.

It has created the debate in the cycling-loving country.

– Such a contract should not be secret, especially not when it comes to the use of public money, says Rasmus K. Storm at the Sports Analysis Institute to VG.

He is not alone. A large number of Danish politicians have also been critical of the secrecy.

It is rigged for a party in Denmark this weekend. The town hall square is full of people dressed in yellow, or red and white. The expectations are enormous for what is to happen.

The Tour de France starts with a pace stage in the center of Copenhagen, before the race continues to Funen tomorrow. Then the finish line awaits Jutland, on the border with Germany, on Sunday.

But the party has a price.

When Denmark was awarded three Tour stages in 2019, the central budget was NOK 125 million. But then the Danish newspaper the policy obtained the budgets from all 13 municipalities that receive Tour visits, as well as the police budget of NOK 32 million, the price tag rose to NOK 250 million.

– It will definitely be more expensive than that. You can quickly land at 350 million kroner (sum converted to Norwegian kroner by VG). It’s a lot of money, points out Rasmus K. Storm.

The Danish company Grand Depart Copenhagen I / S is owned by the state and five municipalities. The company is the organizer of the three Tour stages in Denmark.

The company is defending spending this weekend, referring to the Tour de France as one of the world’s biggest sporting events and “a fantastic showcase”

«Many millions of TV viewers from all over the world will follow as the field rides through great national matches, cities and many iconic places. At the same time, we must substantiate the positive story about Denmark as one of the world’s best and greenest cycling countries »writes a spokesperson for Grand Depart Copenhagen Denmark in an e-mail to VG.

The company believes that the Tour de France will inspire and create positive awareness about cycling and cycling in general.

The private French company Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) owns the Tour de France, and has entered into an agreement with Grand Depart Copenhagen to arrange three stages in Denmark this summer.

How many millions ASOs get in return, and what kind of rights company gets, is therefore a secret. But Politiken has obtained contracts between the company and former host cities. It assumes all financial risks, and waives in practice all rights to sponsorship agreements.

– It is a business model that is very similar to the IOC’s. ASO wins, ASO takes the win, says Rasmus K. Storm.

Politiken has been in contact with both national and local politicians who react to the content of the contract they have entered into with ASO, can not share with the public.

Only a few of the politicians in the 13 Tour municipalities have seen the agreement. And they have been told that it is secret and must not be shared with the public.

The organizer in Copenhagen loves to know that the content of the ASO agreement will be known when the accounts are to be published after the Tour de France.

“It is due to commercial reasons that one undertakes to abide by the contract at the time it was entered into. ASO is in ongoing negotiations about Tour start, and does not want the size of the fee to be announced. Put another way: If you were to have the Tour de France to Denmark, ASO demanded confidentiality about the agreement »writes Grand Depart Copenhagen Denmark to VG.

In Copenhagen, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen is mayor and chairman of the Tour organization.

– The French company demanded that the agreement be confidential. Would I have preferred the publication of the agreement already at the time it was concluded? Yes, I certainly would. Would Denmark have got the Tour started if the dealers had not accepted secrecy about agreements? No, we did not. Confidentiality is the price you have to pay to be able to bring a world event here, and create a common folk and bicycle party across Denmark, she says to Politiken.