In October Portsmouth announced that the British city want to host the Grand Depart of the 2019 Tour de France. However, it is now uncertain whether the bid will be submitted. The News reports that the business case has gone missing.

The relevant file has been made by directors from Portsmouth and experts from the world of sport with the purpose of getting financial support from the politicians. The document (32 pages) has been delivered to Member of Parliament Flick Drummond on the basis she would present it to the Department for Culture, Media & Sport they could make a decision whether to award Portsmouth the money.

However, the Department reveals that they have never received the file but nonetheless Drummond insists that she has in fact sent the document.

Mrs Drummond said: “It went into the department before the conference recess in September and I haven’t had time to meet up with the secretary of state.”

British Cycling previously criticized Portsmouth’s aspirations to host the Grand Depart in the 75th anniversary of D Day. Tour de France organizers ASO are aware of this fact.

“Portsmouth is very interested in hosting the 2019 Tour de France Grand Depart, but I don’t know how the candidacy is going since British Cycling seems to not push behind it,” an ASO spokesman said:  There are several other candidates, in France or in another countries but nothing is decided yet.”
 

The decision will be made in 2019.