Yorkshire has won the bid to host the opening stages – the ‘Grand Depart’ – of the 2014 Tour de France, two years ahead of the date they had expected to take the opportunity. Back in May, Cyclo reported that regional tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire were in ‘advanced talks’ with Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO, the owners of the Tour de France) about staging the 2016 opening, with Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, confirming ‘…in-depth discussions are ongoing but I can reveal Yorkshire’s bid has been positively received by the organising committee at this stage.’ Despite tough competition from the likes of Germany, Spain and Scotland (the latter remains in the running for future events), Yorkshire has won the day with the opening set for Leeds on July 5, 2014 followed by a second day in the county before the race heads to London. Full details have yet to be confirmed.
This marks the fourth time the TdF has included Britain after previous visits in 1974, 1994 and 2007. Race Director Christian Prudhomme commented: ‘Since the resounding success of the Grand Depart in London in 2007, we were very keen to return to the United Kingdom… Bradley Wiggins’s historic 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.’
