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A three day cycling festival is to be held in Yorkshire as part of next year’s Grand Depart of the Tour de France. The Festival of Cycling will be held from 4th-6th July 2014 at Harewood House near Leeds.
The Tour de France passes through the grounds of Harewood House, one of the great houses of England, during stage one of the Tour, the Saturday stage from Leeds to Harrogate.
The festival will also offer led rides to watch the race from the best vantage points on both stages one and two in Yorkshire. Visitors will also be able enjoy the Tour action on big screens within the grounds.
The Big Sleep in the grounds of Harewood House will offer camping facilities.
An expo will also be staged as part of the event.
Rides available from the festival site will include sportives, a women-only Cycletta, and kids’ events. These mass-participation events will be delivered by Human Race, the UK’s largest mass-participation events company.
Harewood House will also be home to VIP hospitality for corporate guests and individuals.
Christopher Newton, director of Festival of Cycling, said: “The Festival of Cycling will be the hub for the Tour in Yorkshire and the perfect way to witness the race’s unrivalled atmosphere. But it’s not just about watching; our visitors can participate in many different events throughout the weekend – all made easy by on-site camping in the magnificent Harewood grounds.”
Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, said: "With beautiful venues like Harewood House, there will be some incredible places to watch [the Grand Depart in 2014] and some great ways to get involved."
