AS A proud Yorkshireman, I am delighted that our beautiful county was chosen for the opening stages of the Tour de France.

We can’t boast of mountains as high as the Pyrenees, but the glorious Yorkshire Dales and the rugged Pennines gave the contestants a challenge while cycling through some of the most wonderful countryside in the world.

It attracted a phenomenal number of spectators and provided a welcome boost for the local tourist industry this weekend.

If Yorkshire wasn’t on the map for some as a holiday destination before this priceless national and international publicity, it certainly is now. And I welcome that with open arms.

Amjad Bashir, Ukip MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.