London will host the start of the 2007 Tour de France, it was confirmed today. The race, which attracted around three million spectators on its last appearance on English roads, will visit the UK for only the third time in its 103-year history.
The news is the result of some hard campaigning by Ken Livingstone, the Major of London, who presented a bid document to Jean-Marie Leblanc, director of the Tour, in person.
Livingstone admitted his pride at securing the agreement with the organisers and hopes to continue to raise cycling’s profile in the capital.
“I am proud to announce that London has successfully bid to host the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in July 2007,” he said. “Hosting the first stage of the legendary French cycle race will raise the profile of cycling in the capital, attract visitors and promote the capital as a venue for international sporting events. I want London to become a world-class cycling city.”
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The news was confirmed by Tour officials in Qatar.
The Grand Depart of the Tour de France takes place outside France every three to four years and Holland, Switzerland and Denmark also made bids to stage the 2007 event.
The opening ceremony of the 2007 Tour will take place on July 6 and the route is expected to take in London’s world-famous landmarks. The Prologue time trial takes place on July 7 and the Stage One point-to-point race will be on July 8. Full route details will be revealed on February 9.
The most prestigious cycling race in the world has never started in London though it twice visited England, in 1974 and 1994. In 1998, the tour started in Dublin before immediately going back to France.