Next year, on Monday 7 July, Cambridge will experience a day like no other as the passion, colour and spectacle of Le Tour de France takes to the streets as the city hosts the start of the third stage of the Grand Depart 2014.
The route was revealed at a press conference in Paris earlier today, where all the stages of the 2014 Tour have been announced to the teams, dignitaries and media.
Beginning on Gonville Place by Parker’s Piece, the peloton will ride through the historic city centre via Regent Street and Sidney Street before turning left at the Round Church.
The riders will then travel past the world famous colleges of St John's, Trinity and King's as they cycle along King's Parade and Trumpington Street before leaving the city via Trumpington Road.
The peloton will then race through the rest of Cambridgeshire via the A1301 taking in the beautiful villages in the south of the county including Trumpington, Great Shelford and Hinxton.
The Tour will then leave Cambridgeshire travelling on to Saffron Walden and through Essex towards London to finish on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
Over the next few months, Cambridgeshire County and Cambridge City Councils will be working with a variety of organisations, cycling clubs and communities to ensure anyone coming to Cambridge to savour the Tour de France has the best experience possible.
Exact details of the route can be found at www.letour.2014stage3.com
Cllr Tim Bick, Leader of Cambridge City Council, said: "We can be sure that Monday 7th July will be a day like no other in Cambridge next year. It's with real pride that the cycling capital of the UK will welcome the world's elite sporting cyclists. An amazing and unforgettable spectacle is promised.
“The route will enable local people to see the peloton - including our British icons - in both intimate and grand settings as it snakes through the city. In return it will offer to the world the backdrop of our beautiful city - its open spaces and its ancient colleges. This unique event can't fail to inspire even more to take to their own bikes here, whether to join the one-in-three who already do so just to get around - or to graduate further to the sport of cycling."
Cllr Martin Curtis, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “It is awe inspiring to think of Cambridge being taken over by the greatest cycle race in the world with the spirit, glamour and sheer wonder it will bring. It is not every day the best cyclists on the planet come to your country, let alone county and we have a duty to make it a fantastic experience for everyone.
“There is much work to do and many challenges ahead of us but Le Tour’s visit is a great opportunity to create a long lasting legacy for cycling not just in Cambridge but throughout the county. I don’t think anyone can fail to be inspired by seeing the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome or Mark Cavendish ride and our challenge is to use this unique opportunity to encourage people onto their bikes. By working together, all those involved with Stage 3 of Le Tour promise to make the most of a day which I am sure will live long in all our memories.”
Christian Prudhomme, director of Le Tour, said: “We are excited to take Le Tour back to Britain again. I know the Grand Départ in Yorkshire will be visually stunning and technically challenging and the third stage from the cycling city of Cambridge to the historic heart of London will provide a fitting finale. The British cycling fans are passionate people and I am sure they will line the routes of the three stages cheering the teams and riders all the way from Yorkshire to London, providing an unforgettable start to the 2014 Tour.”
In the build up to the arrival of the Tour, detailed information will be given to residents, businesses and visitors regarding the impact of the race on Cambridge and the county. This will be made available online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/letourstage3 and www.cambridge.gov.uk/le-tour-cambridge as well as through leaflets, roadshows and events.
Information will also be made available via Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeTourCambridge or Twitter: www.twitter.com/LeTourCambridge
The 101st edition of Le Tour will start on Saturday 5 July 2014 in Leeds before travelling 120 miles to Harrogate, where the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France 2014 will be awarded. The next day, the riders will leave York for Sheffield on a tricky 125 mile stage whose final section will include a climb of Holme Moss.