By Gerard Tubb, Sky News Correspondent
Crowds are gathering in Leeds for the start of the 101st Tour de France as Yorkshire hosts the opening stages of the world's greatest bike race.
Two million people are expected to line the route this weekend as they watch top cyclists in action.
Some 198 riders in 22 teams will get a royal send-off from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.
Scores of towns and villages along the 190km opening stage are expected to be packed as the peloton makes its way through the Yorkshire Dales to the finish in Harrogate.
Organisers hope the Duchess will present the coveted yellow jersey to the stage winner in the town this afternoon, with British sprinter Mark Cavendish tipped as the possible recipient in his mother's home town.
Team Sky tweeted this picture of Chris Froome who was first on the team bus On Sunday, the riders arrive in York for a stage taking in some of the most challenging climbs in Britain, ending in Sheffield.
And, on Monday, the Tour moves south to Cambridge and a stage ending on The Mall, in central London.
The bus makes its way to the start in Leeds. Fears that the narrow roads and stone walls in the Yorkshire Dales National Park will be too dangerous for the world's fastest cyclists have been dismissed by five-times Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault.
He told Sky News the challenges that Yorkshire poses are just part of the race.
Two million people are expected to watch the opening stage of the race "It's for the riders to adapt to the route, not for the route to adapt to the riders," he said.
Local businesses have been warned to expect up to 700 cars per hour trying to get into what are usually relatively isolated villages, with road closures for the race causing added problems.
Tens of thousands of tents and caravans will be squeezed into fields where sheep and cattle usually graze after officials relaxed the area's strict planning regulations for the weekend.
Swaledale farmer Mike Barker has created a car park for 5,000 cars, but thinks he's more likely to get a few hundred at £10 each.
He's already spent £500 on toilet hire and extra insurance but said he is confident he'll get his money back.
The Welcome to Yorkshire tourism agency predicts the event, which is watched by billions of TV viewers around the world, will bring £100m into Yorkshire's economy.
The race ends in Paris on July 27.
All eyes will be on Britain's Chris Froome to see if he can take the title for Team Sky for the second successive year.
It would mark a third straight British win, after Bradley Wiggins rode to victory in 2012.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Royals To Welcome Tour De France In Yorkshire
Dengan url
https://gagalcoba.blogspot.com/2014/07/royals-to-welcome-tour-de-france-in.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Royals To Welcome Tour De France In Yorkshire
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Royals To Welcome Tour De France In Yorkshire
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar