there was talk of the tdf starting in america 20 years­ ago! all the grand tours start where ever pays up the­ money, that why holland has all 3 grand tour starts in­ a year, they paid up. if washington pays up why not? 4­ or 5 stages followed by 2 days off for the transfer.­ riders take sleep pills to get over get lag or just­ have stages start about 6am then they wont be so out of­ routine. the big problem to over come is not the riders­ and staff, its moving the equipment, bikes, spare­ bikes, team buses, team cars, advertising equipment,­ motorbikes etc , thats the restrictin factor

WHAT A STUPID PATHETIC IDEA.......THE GIRO IS THE TOUR­ OF ITALY !!!!!?????£"$£%$^%$&^% FOR $^%&*­ SAKEaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhhhhhhh

It would be good to see a decent race in the states. ­ There's some good mountains there.

There'd­ also be a unique challenge that you couldn't get­ anywhere in Europe with a stage going through AZ.

I­ took part in a TT in AZ a few years ago - not a big­ deal, just a club affair.

In Britain, even on a bad­ day, I manage a 24. In AZ, I felt great training at­ night, and at the start of the race I felt fantastic,­ and was certain I'd put in a good­ performance....but only managed a 26:45 on a completely­ flat course on the day because the sheer heat killed me­ about halfway through.

It'd be interesting to see­ how the pro's handled it.

RAAM was scheduled to be answer to european grand­ tours-by the way my good friend Jure Robic is multiple­ winner of this race-but if this "no stage"­ concept can evolve in a way of "our" tours­ are organized, I still hope that US can get his­ deserved landmark race. Very much fond of american­ cyclist myself too, and hoping one day to see grand­ tour finish at the Manhattan. Regarding "american­ people not understanding cycling" statement, sure­ you don't mean texan, and please remember 1994­ football world cup when americans prove wrong to rest­ of the world when they make perfect organization and­ full stadiums all the way to the final. And at the­ start everybody doubt that saying exactly the­ same-soccer/football have no fans in US. Now having­ Lance and all media focus on him, think is the right­ time for organizers to make crucial steps in this­ direction and just like Flushing Meadows making US Open­ and 4th Grand Slam to become 4th World Grand Tour.

I think this idea is so far out in left field that Im­ not even going give it any thought. With that being­ said I would so Love to see a grand tour of the united­ states. Start on the east coast along ocean wrap­ through the eastern mountains then through the midwest­ on up to the rockies finishing on the beaches of­ california. That would be awesome. The sad truth is­ this though, the people of the united states dont­ understand cycling at all and I dont believe there­ would be the required support to such a race. As a­ american cycling fan its sad to not be able to enjoy a­ grand tour on your home soil.

There should be just one question when considering­ taking a race abroad.

Is there a good reason?

The­ Tour in Belgium or Spain. There's good reasons for­ that.

The Giro in Washington...I've been trying to­ think of one since this story was printed, and still­ can't.

Imaging starting TdF 2109 somewhere on Mars, or­ Jupiter....or Giro on the Antartica. Maybe Amauri plans­ to merge TdF and Dakar Rally into one intergalactic­ bicycle-car-bike-quad-truck-"death race" type­ of racing, who knows. Regarding Giro, please stay with­ Stelvio, Zoncolan, Plan de Corones, Mortirolo, Gavia,­ etc....White House has billion other purposes and leave­ the americans dreaming of grand tour on his­ soil...Coast-to-coast seems preaty challenging...

Dear Eurosport- On the picture to this article, please­ could you write "Giro" in pink vapour trail­ on the sky above the White House.
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Thanks.

Love the irony in having a 'green' mode of­ transport- the bicycle- striving for the biggest CO2­ footprint possible.
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They could stage a TT on a­ transporter plane back to Italy. Di Luca could do 400+­ miles per hour... and be clean!

I believe next years Tour Of Britain is starting with a­ Prologue TT on South Georgia, followed by a tough stage­ from Goose Green to Port Stanley. Organisers are­ considering having the TTT on St Helena just to break­ up the journey home but fear it might upset the­ French.

I've not heard whether or not the­ Argentine National Team have been given a wild card for­ the race

I suppose they could adopt the same approach as Qatar. ­ 5-star hotels and first class travel all the way to­ 'ease the pain'..........I suppose if­ you're flying around on a specially chartered 747­ with flat-beds etc, then there's a chance it could­ happen?! Just the way of modern-day sport, I guess -­ it's all about money.

its too far. what sort of cycling tour is that if they­ do more distance flying. stupid idea. the US has­ already embraced cycling due to there many national­ talents in the worldwide scale before dominated by­ europeans, so why try this now? perhaps 25 years ago­ before the emergence of greg lemond. there is nothing­ wrong with a european start other than the country of­ origin.

speaking of that...why are the netherlands­ hosting so many starts right now? they had the vuelta­ this year and they have the giro and the tour next­ year. there must be a reason?????

I thinks the organisers of the Giro should be tested­ for drugs!! The Tour of Italy should be exactly that.

Whóres.

post 4, jet lag would only be a problem to the­ organisers if they gave a damn about the riders.

How about if we start the first stage of TdF in Alaska,­ then maybe the second stage in New York City, third­ stage in England and then work our way over to France.­ Wow, what a great idea.

apologize to Thomas I took your idea before I read the­ comments. I guess others feel the same way about this.

I have an idea, why don't we start the first stage­ of The Tour of California in Italy.

I am not sure this is the "Hope and Change"­ that the US people were expecting.

Veulta 2012, a stage covering each of the Hawaiian­ islands, 2 stages in the Himalaya's, a lap around­ each pole followed by a night criterium in­ Barcelona.... Well, like it? Just an idea.

I don't­ agree with this fashion of one upmanship on when and­ where the GT's start (However living in Holland­ just now does have its advantages..) I agree with Jack­ that they need to be realistic about starting venues!­ And Thomas, don't be silly, The tour of California­ will not start in Rome.... It is scheduled for a hectic­ mountain stage in the north of Holland like every other­ major race about now!!!