The Hague is going to make a serious attempt to host the start of the Tour de France cycle race in 2020, the AD reported on Wednesday.

The Hague has the title of European city of sport in 2020 and officials consider staging the Grand Départ would fit in with the plans perfectly.

The official campaign to win the race will start on January 30, and the ambition to host the start of one of the three big European cycle races in The Hague was also included in the city’s coalition agreement, the AD points out.

‘It would also have a major economic impact on the city and put The Hague on the map,’ city alderman Richard de Mos said.

Rotterdam is also interested in holding the Grand Départ and has registered with the Tour de France organisers as potential hosts in 2023, 2024 and 2025, local media said.

Utrecht staged the Grand Départ in 2015, the sixth time the Tour, which is hugely popular in the Netherlands, began in a Dutch city.

Amsterdam hosted the first non-French Grand Départ in 1954. The capital was followed by Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978), Den Bosch (1996) and Rotterdam (2010).

Update Wednesday afternoon: Utrecht is to stage the start of the 2020 round Spain cycle race Vuelta a España.

The first day will see a time trial in the city, followed by a road trip from Den Bosch to Utrecht. The third day will also take place in the Netherlands with a round Breda race.