London turns down chance to stage start of 2017 Tour de France with Germany set to step in

London hosted the Grand Depart in 2007 and was the finish of a stage in 2014 ©Getty Images

London has passed up the opportunity to host the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France despite having seen off competition from several rivals to stage the event.

The funding required to put on the start of the famous three-week cycling race was given as the reason for the last-minute withdrawal by Britain’s capital city, which was previously given the nod over Manchester, Edinburgh and several German cities for the honour.

It would have been the second occasion that the Tour de France would have begun in London after the prologue was held in the city in 2007, before the opening stage of the race began in the capital and finished in Canterbury.

London hosted the third and final stage of the 2014 Grand Depart, with the opening two stages of the race having been successfully held in Yorkshire.

The city’s Mayor, Boris Johnson, has revealed it was his decision to pull the plug with the cost of holding the opening stages being key to his decision.

“You've got to take some tough decisions in government and I think £35 million ($53 million/€47 million) on a one-off event was just not worth it for London,” he told the BBC.

"I know people will say we should have gone ahead anyway and it would be wonderful.

"Well yes, many things would be wonderful, but £35 million for a one-off thing is just too much when that money could be spent on long term infrastructure and making cycling safer and stuff that will be of value for generations to come."

Yorkshire's staging of the 2014 Grand Depart was widely considered a success ©Getty Images

Following London’s withdrawal, the French company Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), who own the race, are expected to award the Grand Depart to a German city with the country having not hosted a stage of the Tour since 2005.

One rumour is that it could be held in Hamburg, which would have implications for the 2024 Olympics race with the northern city up against French capital Paris, as well as Budapest, Los Angeles and Rome, for the honour of hosting the Games.

A successful Hamburg hosting could highlight the city's ability to stage major events, boosting their Olympic bid, and the Paris campaign would likely also not be happy about an event that is synonymous with their country beginning on the streets of a rival.

Should Germany be confirmed, it would further highlight the country's increasing interest in the Grand Tour.

Public broadcasting group ARD ended the country’s three year absence of live coverage of the race this year having reached an agreement with ASO to broadcast both the 2015 and 2016 editions.

The 2016 Grand Depart is set to take place in the Manche region of Normandy, while a stage is also set to take place in Andorra during the race.