Possible 2016 Tour de France start in Qatar

Tour de France 2011 winner Cadel Evans, surrounded by Qatar Airways flight crew, signs a yellow jersey for airline CEO Akbar al-Baker at Grenoble International Airport in south-east France as the airline prepares to fly all competing cyclists to Paris for the final stage of the gruelling three-week race

Agencies/Doha

Qatar, buoyed by a successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, is interested in staging the start of the 2016 Tour de France. “His Highness (the Emir) has had this idea in mind for quite a while. They have started the discussions and the process,” a source with close ties to the government said, asking not to be identified. 
State-owned Qatar Airways was the official airline for this year’s Tour, won on Sunday by Australian Cadel Evans. 
Next year’s race will depart from Liege, Belgium, while Corsica is set to kick off the 100th Tour in 2013.  
In 2007 it began in London, in 2010 it was in Rotterdam while Florence is bidding to become the first Italian city to host the Grand Depart in 2014. 
Barcelona, Edinburgh and cities in England, Netherlands, Germany and Austria have all expressed an interest in hosting future starts. 
None of those include the logistical and meteorological challenge of a start in the Middle East, where the searing July heat would pose a challenge for the riders and almost certainly ensure a short stage or time trial. 

Qatar Airways, as official airline of the Tour de France, operated a special flight carrying race cyclists from Grenoble to Paris. Tour de France 2011 winner Cadel Evans, wearing a red cap, is pictured with Akbar al-Baker at the foot of the aircraft steps

“I think there are options to manage it. We can have a small prologue, not too long, with water sprayed at certain points. There is no technical problem with doing it here,” a source said, confirming that the bid would be for 2016, not 2014 as reported on some cycling websites. 
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways has showcased its world class hospitality to the sporting elite on the final day of the world famous cycle race.
Many of the world’s leading cyclists were onboard a Qatar Airways special charter flight from Grenoble in south east France to Paris before they headed for the last stage of the prestigious race to the Champs Elysees in the centre of the French capital.
Onboard the Airbus A330 aircraft were all competing cyclists, team managers, support staff and TV and newspaper journalists from around the world.
Qatar Airways chief executive officer Akbar al-Baker hosted the guests on the flight, including Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx and Frenchman Bernard Hinault, who each won the Tour de France five times during illustrious careers. 
After three weeks of gruelling racing covering almost 3,500km of different terrain across France, the 98th edition of the Tour de France, culminated with 34-year-old Cadel Evans, from Australia taking the overall winner’s yellow jersey and top prize on the Champs Elysees.
The Tour de France is the third most watched sporting event in the world after the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup. Millions of spectators lined the race route over the past three weeks with hundreds of millions watching the event on television, broadcast in over 200 countries worldwide. 
Qatar Airways’ sponsorship of the Tour de France is the latest sporting initiative by the award-winning carrier – recently named Airline of the Year 2011 – which has a long track record of hosting sports and cycling events such as the annual Tour of Qatar which takes place in Qatar. 
Al- Baker said: “On behalf of Qatar Airways, it is with delight to be able to support this great sporting event, attracting the world’s leading cyclists for arguably the best cycling event in the world.
“Sport is integral to Qatar Airways’ sponsorship strategy and the Tour de France is an excellent way of reinforcing our passion for one of the world’s most popular sports.
Al Baker added that in supporting the race, the airline had won many admirers across France – being one of its key European markets – and around the world.
Qatar Airways last year celebrated its 10th anniversary of flying to France and today operates 15-flights-a-week between Doha and Paris, and thrice-weekly services linking Doha with Nice on the French Riviera.