It is official: The world's greatest cycle race - the Tour de France - will start in the world's greatest county on 5th & 6th July 2014 bringing millions of fans to the Yorkshire roadside to cheer on the champions of the sport.
Welcome to Yorkshire reports... "It will be the first time Le Tour has visited the north of England having previously only made visits to the south coast and the capital. We guarantee it will be a festival and a spectacle for fans and first timers alike and are sure Yorkshire will rise to occasion and give the riders, the teams and the race organisers a Grand Départ to remember. Yorkshire is a world class county and it will deliver a world class event.
This is Yorkshire's moment to shine. Over 2 billion people watch Le Tour live on television every year providing a wonderful advert for our county and hopefully it will prompt people who maybe haven't visited before or not been in a while to book a break to visit us.
This is undoubtedly Yorkshire's opportunity to welcome the world.
With the recent success of British riders, notably Bradley Wiggins becoming the first Briton to win Le Tour in 2012 shortly followed by a gold medal time trial performance in London, the popularity of cycling has never been higher. With that in mind it might be a good idea to think about booking your favourite Yorkshire hotel, bed and breakfast or campsite early to avoid disappointment!
Yorkshire is rightly proud to be able to say it will host the Tour de France. The county is a heartland of the sport and over the next few pages we celebrate Yorkshire's Grand Départ, Yorkshire's cycling champions, the county's iconic cycling landscapes and hopefully inspire more people to consider going uphill and down dale on two wheels in future".
Le Grand Depart will be in Leeds on Saturday 5th July 2014. Competitors will tour the city and then head for The Yorkshire Dales. Sunday will be in the North Yorkshire Moors (based on information provided by Welcome to Yorkshire). An announcement on 17th January 2013 will confirm the route and dates.
