Rotterdam

Rotterdam has already hosted a Tour de France time trial, the prologue of the 2010 Grand Départ, which was won by Fabian Cancellara, who took the first yellow jersey of that year’s race. The average speed (53.4km/h) recorded by the Swiss rider underlined how the city’s flat coastal profile encourages speed. The finishes of the various races it has hosted have generally concluded with bunch sprints, and a number of world records have been broken in its famous marathon, which has been held here every spring since 1981. In addition to ‘faster’, the words ‘higher’ and ‘stronger’ could be used to describe Rotterdam, which was named as European Capital of Sport in 2005 in recognition of its dynamism and organisational skills in this area. Its three professional football clubs (Excelsior, Sparta and the world renowned Feyenoord, winners of the European Cup in 1970) are a case in point, while the many European and world tournaments and championships in a variety of disciplines that are regularly held here keep the port city in the spotlight. We shouldn’t forget its football stadium, the ebullient De Kuip, the setting for ten European club finals, the final of Euro 2000 (France-Italy, 2-1 after extra time) and of the last Nations League (Spain-Croatia, 0-0 and 5-4 on penalties). The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will add to this list of successes.

- Municipality in the province of South Holland (Netherlands)
- Population: 635,000; 1,425,000 within the metropolitan area; 7,100,000 within the Randstad conurbation

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