This morning has seen ASO, the organisers of the Tour de France, and the county of Yorkshire, reveal the routes for the three English stages of the 2014 Tour de France.
The Grand Depart will be from Leeds on July 5 with the Leeds first stage including riding up in the Yorkshire Dales. The finish will be in Harrogate. The Tour will pass through the towns/villages of Harewood, Otley, Ilkley, Skipton, Kettlewell, Aysgarth, Hawes, Reeth, Leyburn and Ripon on the way.
Stage 2 starts in York and ends in Sheffield. This stage should give some punchy climbs but nothing too strenuous for the pros. Towns and villages that will see the Tour go pass them include Knaresborough, Silsden, Keighley, Haworth, Hebden Bridge, Elland, Huddersfield and Holmfirth
As expected Stage 3 will end in London. Though a starting point around Surrey was much mooted for this stage, organisers pulled a surprise with Stage 3 beginning in Cambridge. The race will arrive in Greater London via Epping Forest. The route will run through Redbridge, Waltham Forest and Newham, pass through the Olympic Park and then on to Tower Hamlets, the City of London and Westminster. Going Going Bike revealed these details on Twitter yesterday ahead of the official announcement.
The final stretch is planned to take the competitors through St James’s Park and past the front of Buckingham Palace for a spectacular finish on The Mall.
Route maps courtesy of Yorkshire Grand Depart 2014