“My sense of nationality goes totally berserk”

Abstract

When Denmark hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2022, the riders were met by huge crowds and a jubilant atmosphere. On Twitter, Danish and international audiences extended this behavior as co-producers of a transmedia sports event of global reach. Using the theoretical framework of a typology depicting four general discursive tweet modes, this study examines the communicative patterns involved as Danish residents shared their experiences and reactions to hosting the Grand Départ. A content analysis of their tweets revealed that the exceptional circumstances of hosting a major sporting event prompted them to focus more on themes surrounding the event than on the actual cycling. A subsequent qualitative analysis of Danish and international tweets focusing on the inter- play of global and local themes surrounding the Danish Grand Départ identifies evaluative, participatory, humorous/ironic, and emotional dimensions as central expressions of glocal consciousness.