The organisers of the Tour de France have confirmed that part of it will be staged in Yorkshire during 2014.
It will be only the fourth time the Tour has visited Britain, most recently in 2007, but with visits also in 1974 and 1994.
Leeds will host the start of the Tour with stages on the 5/ 6 July in the region. The start will also coincide with a festival of cycling and the arts.
A statement from race organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) said:
The organisers of the Tour de France are pleased to announce that the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014 will take place in the United Kingdom in the county of Yorkshire, before heading to London for a stage finish.
After an outstanding 2012 for British cycling, marked by the historical victory of Bradley Wiggins on the Tour de France, the United Kingdom will again hold pride of place in 2014.
The Grand Depart of the 101st edition of the Tour will take place on July 5 in Leeds in the county of Yorkshire.
Seven years after the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2007 and two years after the latest Olympic Games, London will host the last stage on British soil, before the pack returns to mainland Europe.
The details of this Grand Depart and the stages it will include will be revealed at a press conference that will take place on Thursday January 17, 2013, in two phases, in both Leeds and Paris.
County Councillor John Weighell, the Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said:
North Yorkshire County Council, as one of the sponsors of the bid, is absolutely delighted that the organisers of the Tour de France have agreed to include Yorkshire in the 2014 event.
As one of the world’s premier sporting events, the Tour de France brings enormous international exposure and interest in its wake, and the inclusion of Yorkshire can only be excellent news for the economy of North Yorkshire, and its hugely important tourism businesses.
