Rotterdam mayor: start of Tour de France Femmes was a beautiful party for the city

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb is pleased with the start of the Tour de Femmes, the cycling event that took place in Rotterdam on Monday and Tuesday.

"The last two days were a beautiful party for the city and the region," the mayor added. "I am looking back gratefully at a nice and peaceful sporting event which could not have happened without the fantastic cooperation with The Hague and Dordrecht. This collaboration has left us wanting more in the future. But it is also because of the huge efforts of our public services and the police that this became a party for all cycling fans, big and small."

The first three stages of the Tour de France for women went from Rotterdam to The Hague and from Dordrecht to Rotterdam on Monday and Tuesday, and there was a speed trial on Tuesday afternoon in the city center of Rotterdam.

There were many crowds along the route during the three stages, with spectators lining the road in large numbers.

According to the municipality of The Hague, almost 80,000 people were by the route in the city on Monday. Just like his fellow mayor, The Hague mayor, Jan van Zane, was enthusiastic about how it went. He called it a "cycling party."

On Wednesday, the Tour de France Femmes will leave the Netherlands with a stage from Valkenburg in Limburg to Liege in Belgium. The competition ends next Sunday with a trip to Alpe d'Huezd'.