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The 2014 Tour de France, which begins in Yorkshire, will pass through the Dare2B Festival of Cycling on July 5th it has been revealed.
The announcement in Paris yesterday included details of all stages in the three-week race, including the full route for Stages 1 and 2, held in Yorkshire and Stage 3 held from Cambridge to London.
Stage 1 will start in Leeds and head to Harewood House and the Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling. Riders will then visit the surrounding villages of Ilkley, Otley and Ripon on the way to Harrogate, where sprinter Mark Cavendish will be hoping to take the yellow jersey in his mother’s hometown.
Taking place from 4th-6th July 2014, the three-day festival will give tens of thousands of cycling fans the opportunity to see the Tour de France first-hand on Saturday 5th July en route to Harrogate, with dignitaries due to wave the riders on from the steps of the Grade I listed building.
The festival will offer camping so that visitors can enjoy the Tour experience all weekend and, when the riders have raced through the grounds of Harewood House, view the rest of the action on big screens. Organisers have also laid on on-site entertainment, including films, live music, cycling demonstrations, seminars and more.
Christopher Newton, director of Harewood Events, organisers of the Festival of Cycling, said: “Ever since Yorkshire won its bid to host the Grand Depart we have felt like an integral part of the 2014 Tour, so yesterday’s route announcement was an exciting day for everyone at Harewood House.”
Visitors will have the unique opportunity to follow in the tracks of the Tour riders by getting involved in the various rides, which will be available to festival-goers throughout the weekend. These will include sportives for all abilities, a womens-only Cycletta, criteriums and kids’ events as well as mountain biking, duathlons and trail running.
Ticket prices and further event information will be revealed shortly.
