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news
Wiggins TT position in yellowYorkshire to host Tour de France in 2014... stage finish in London too
Yorkshire has been awarded the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France, the first time the North of England has hosted the race. The first two stages will take place in Yorkshire followed by a third in the South of England, finishing in London, before heading across the Channel to France. Full details will be revealed at press conferences to be jointly held in Leeds and Paris on 17 January.
It's the fourth time cycling's biggest race has come to the UK - the last was when London hosted the Grand Depart in 2007 - and the Yorkshire bid saw off a competing one that would have seen the event start in Edinburgh before heading south through England and Wales to the Channel.
The inclusion of that third stage in the South of England within the Yorkshire plans is likely to have been a response to that. Previously, the Yorkshire bid focused on two stages within the county itself, starting in Leeds and also taking in places such as Sheffield, Hull, York and Scarborough as well as some of the region's spectacular scenery.
Leeds will be host the build-up to the race, which will start on 5 July 2014, and Councillor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council said: “We are honoured that Leeds has been chosen to be the host city of the 2014 Grand Départ.
"Leeds has a proud racing and riding history so it will be wonderful to welcome the biggest cycle race of them all to the heart of our vibrant city centre, inspire a new generation of Yorkshire cyclists to compete on the world stage and leave a lasting cycling legacy for the city.”
The bid was co-ordinated by Welcome to Yorkshire, which launched a major PR offensive during this year's race, won of course by Bradley WIggins, including putting full-page adverts in L'Equipe.
The agency's chief executive, Gary Verity, said: Today is a proud day for everyone involved in the bid and the county as a whole. We are honoured that the race organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), have selected Yorkshire to be the host location of the 2014 Grand Départ.
“It will mean less than two years after hosting the Olympics the British public can look forward to another of the world’s biggest sporting events coming to the country, and I am in no doubt they will come to Yorkshire in their millions, lining the length and breadth of the route to cheer on the champions of world cycling and our home grown British heroes.
“Yorkshire is a passionate county of proud people and I am sure they will guarantee that their Grand Départ raises the bar in terms of expectations for all future hosts to come.”
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme commented: “Since the resounding success of the Grand Départ in London in 2007, we were very keen to return to the United Kingdom.
"Bradley Wiggins’ historical victory last July and the enormous crowds that followed the cycling events in the streets of London during the Olympic Games encouraged us to go back earlier than we had initially planned.
"Yorkshire is a region of outstanding beauty, with breathtaking landscapes whose terrains offer both sprinters and attackers the opportunity to express themselves.
"We have encountered a phenomenal desire from the Yorkshire team to welcome the Tour de France and have no doubt that passion and support will be particularly evident for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2014.”
That competing Scottish-led bid, unlike the Yorkshire one, had the support of British Cycling. However, the organisation's president, Brian Cookson, welcomed the prospect of the race returning to Great Britain.
"Like every other cycling fan, I am thrillled the world's biggest bike race is coming back to this country," he said.
"The huge numbers who turned out to support the 2007 Grand Depart and the London 2012 road races show the passion we have for cycling.
"I'm sure Yorkshire will give the 2014 Tour de France a welcome which will stand out in the race's rich history."
Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.
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59 comments
From today's T'Groniad:-
Christian Prudhomme said :-
"Yorkshire is a region of outstanding beauty, with breathtaking landscapes whose terrains offer both sprinters and attackers the opportunity to express themselves. We have encountered a phenomenal desire from the Yorkshire team to welcome the Tour de France and have no doubt that passion and support will be particularly evident for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2014."
They know a good thing when they see it
Sorry Gkam, can't agree. Yorkshire don't have the BC or Olympic velodromes, only get a Tour of Britain stage every few years and sorry, but the Edinburgh bid catered to the same old places that cycling always goes to. It was a boring and predictable offering to be avoided.
I'm disappointed that the third stage goes to London, it's a waste of an opportunity to engage with more people who don't often get the chance to see top level riders up close.
What's it got to do with Velodromes? London has the Olympic one and where is the Yorkshire bid heading to.....London
Although the Edinburgh route was speculation, It would have taken in Scotland, England and Wales, being in reach of MILLIONS more people than the Yorkshire bid.
It reeks of backhanders.....BUT, Edinburgh's bid was originally set for 2017. So is still on track according to the ASO
As well as the densely populated cities in Yorkshire (Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield) it is close by to Manchester, Newcastle, Sunderland, Nottingham, even Liverpool is only an hour or so away. That's a fair chunk of the population.
But more importantly than the demographics, Yorkshire has some of the most scenic and challenging roads in the country. Just look in the 100 Hill Climbs book and see that Yorkshire gets an entire chapter to itself. Then there is the history to consider - how many ex and current pros come from Yorkshire and how many from Edinburgh? Yorkshire, along with Merseyside, is one of a handful of cycling hotbeds in the country.
I love Scotland and spend many of my holidays in the highlands hillwalking, mountaineering and rockclimbing. But for cycling, Yorkshire is well ahead in my opinion. The only fly in the ointmnet is that London will once again have a stage. Yorkshire could have easily had 4 stages within the county and still misssed out classic roads. Presumably 2014 will have a prologue, aroudn Leeds, leaving only one 'proper' Yorkshire stage so most of the Dales, Moors, Wolds, Pennines and Peak District will miss out entirely.
Clearly the UCI World Tour needs a Dauphine-esque Yorkshire stage-race - wouldn't that be wonderful!? the winner could have a white rose jersey, brass bands at the finish line, Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley in place of podium girls...
I'm worried about them sinister sheep who like now't better than playing chicken with t'peloton on t'descents
Leg of Lamb anyone, Chops, nice bit of Shoulder? Hmmmm delicious
NOT HAPPY HERE.......
Good to see it in Britain, but Edinburgh was clearly the better choice and it would have travelled down through Engerlandshire
The "2014 Tour de Franace" is that a spelling mistake or are you saying that going to Yorkshire is going to be ace
All descents to be contested in tin baths, like off of that Last of the Summer Wine documentary.
Since when? You have it hot before the meat, or with it, and cold after with golden syrup. Then you make a note that you need to do more miles. Lots more miles.
Luxury. When I were a lad, we only had a picture of a Yorkshire pudding once a year.
..picture?? you lucky, lucky barsteward!...we had to draw our own on a paving slab...
Paving slab? Luxury! I had to carve a yorkshire pudding into me arm with a rusty stanley knife as a treat every other Christmas, and I was bloody glad of it.
..you had a rusty stanley knife? We could only dream of such luxuries, you posh, elitist git!!
We werent allowed to dream of luxuries-we had to pretend to have an imaginary picture.
Pretend, pretend, we couldn't afford that. Anyway we were too busy to pretend with working all hours down t'pit for a halfpence a day.
As for dessert and starters - we only had one course. Pudding for us was fresh air and windy pie.
Halfpence "A DAY" blimey rich beyond my wildest dreams. On Christmas Day I get a whole oxo cube!
...a WHOLE oxo cube?...me and my 10 siblings had to fight each other to lick the wrapper!
I used to DREAM of licking an OXO wrapper! Me and me 20 brothers and 30 sisters would gather round t'family Bisto granule every fifth Christmas and take turns to smell it before heading back down t'pit .
We were rich. It was ace.
bye eckers, when i were down't pit,I didnt see daylight for yonks. only my own't finger nails for food. oooooh it were grim ooop nawth i tell thee
Great news - although I've been up in Scotland this week and the press seemed fairly confident of the tour going to Edinburgh - Sorry guys! please come down and enjoy some Yorkshire hospitality though.
Seriously, this is brilliant news (though apologies to the Edinburgh bid, whihc also looked great).
Hopefully we'll see riders fuelled by pontefract cakes and fat rascals instead of energy gels and EPO.
*insert flat cap/helmet gag here*
On Ilkely Moor bart.. (sorry)
Great news. I wonder if the Tour of Britain will get a lot more interest from the world tour teams this year as a result.
It's going to fun explaining that the Yorkshire pudding is not a dessert too.
When I was a lad we dipped cold Yorkshire puddings in sugar and jam. I was born in Lincolnshire though....
What a surprise! was thinking Scotland had it, can't wait for the details to emerge, Me and Wor Lass are all booked up for Nice/Corsica next year so Grand Depart two years in a Row after being at London and Valkenburg this year, life's a peach.
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