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Tour de France to come to Bradford district

9:57am Thursday 17th January 2013 in News By Michael Black

The race will go through Otley the home town of Olympic star Lizzie Armitstead The race will go through Otley the home town of Olympic star Lizzie Armitstead

The route for the Yorkshire leg of the 2014 Tour de France was revealed today.

Race organisers announced last month that a Yorkshire-led bid had won the right to host the opening 'Grand Depart' of the world's most famous bike race.

Two stages will be held in the county on July 5 and 6 next year while the third stage of the 101st Tour will finish in London before heading to France.

The first stage, which starts in Leeds, will take in Otley - home of Olympic silver-medal winning cyclist Lizzie Armitstead, Ilkley and Skipton.

Rhylstone's Pete Williams, winner of the sprint classification in the 2012 Tour of Britain, said: "Its brilliant that the route is passing through the area. Iit was great that it was announced the tour was coming to Yorkshire and so for the route to include this area is the icing on the cake and I'm sure it will be a fantastic weekend. 

"The event really is the biggest single sporting event in the world so for it to come here and be on peoples doorstep is a huge thing for the area.  It will be great for the race pass my front door and use the same roads I and many others train on every day. 

" I think these roads are some of the most beautiful in the world to ride a bike on and I'm sure the TV images that will reach billions of people across the globe will portray this and help the area beyond the event as well. 

"It really is an exciting prospect for the area and the atmosphere will be immense.  I was inspired to take up cycling by watching the tour on TV as a kid and I'm sure this will inspire many others to get out and enjoy riding a bike."

Click here to see a full map of Stage One: Leeds – Harewood – Otley – Ilkley – Skipton – Kettlewell – Aysgarth – Hawes – Reeth – Leyburn – Ripon – Harrogate

Stage two starts in York and passes through  Bolton Abbey, Silsden, Keighley, Haworth and Huddersfield with Sheffield hosting the finish.

Click here to see a full map of Stage Two: York – Knaresborough – Silsden – Keighley – Haworth – Hebden Bridge – Elland – Huddersfield – Holmfirth – Sheffield

This will be the second time Britain has hosted the Grand Depart and the fourth visit in all following a single stage in Plymouth in 1974 and two across the south of England 20 years later.

London staged the opening prologue in 2007 - the last time the race came to England - with one million people lining the streets.

Yorkshire has a rich cycling tradition, with Britain's first Tour stage winner Brian Robinson hailing from Mirfield.

Keep checking this website for updates as they happen, and see next week's Keighley News for a special feature.

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