Tour de France

We look at the route the race will take when it comes to Britain in 2007.

The Opening Ceremony
On Friday, the 6th of July, the Teams competing in the 2007 Tour de France will be presented in Trafalgar Square, the centre of London and the scene of many a major celebration. The square contains a number of landmarks such as Nelson's Column and the National Gallery and will no doubt be packed with people for this showcase event.

Prologue

On Saturday, the 7th of July, will be an eight kilometre (5 mile) lap of central London. The riders will depart from the starting ramp at Whitehall, taking in some of London's most famous landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Wellington Arch, Hyde Park, and finishing on the Mall.

 Royal Parks Chief Executive, Mark Camley said their agency was proud to play such a key role in delivering the Le Grand Depart to the UK.

 "The Royal Parks are national treasures that are recognised by millions of people at home and around the World. They will prove to be a spectacular stage for this event and allow thousands of Londoners and visitors to enjoy the grandeur and natural beauty of the Royal Parks. Le Tour will also show the World our ability to host world-class sporting events ahead of the 2012 Olympics."

 Stage One (place to place)

On Sunday, the 8th of July, the first road stage will start in central London. The riders will depart from The Mall, ride through Admiralty Arch and then proceed alongside the Thames down to the Houses of Parliament and past the iconic symbol of Britain and London, Big Ben.

Then, the riders will cross the Thames river before riding past the London Eye (pictured right)  and looping back to take in St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London. From there, they will pass over the Tower Bridge, through Bermondsey and Deptford to Greenwich where they will cross the Greenwich Meridian Line, where all time zones are measured from.

 The route then passes through Woolwich, Abbey Wood and Erith, before leaving London for Dartford in Kent.

Out of London, the route then goes through Gravesend and on to Medway, dominated by Rochester Castle and it's Cathedral. Rochester was the scene of many a great gathering of cycle racing fans for the World Road Cups that were held there.

 Passing on through Maidstone, the route will take the riders to Tonbridge and then on to Royal Tunbridge Wells. The route then winds through the beautiful Kent countryside, through the picturesque village of Tenterden and past Ashford to a potentially nail biting finish in Canterbury.

 Leader of the Kent County Council, Paul Carter, said of the Tour coming to his part of the country, "With an estimated worldwide audience of 15 million people, the largest for any sporting event, this is a great opportunity to promote Kent and its countryside to a huge number of people."



The stage finishes in Canterbury, a city steeped in history just like many of the major landmarks in London and the town is suitably pleased to see the Tour de France coming through their front door. Canterbury City Council Leader, Cllr Harry Cragg's reaction to the news was "Canterbury is thrilled to have been chosen to host the climax to the first stage of the Tour de France. The City Council has already begun preparations for one of the world's most high profile sporting events and is looking forward to the excitement and drama that surrounds this prestigious occasion."