Yorkshire is honoured to have been chosen to stage the Grand Départ of the 2014 Tour de France and we are confident the riders will find our spectacular scenery both challenging and exhilarating.

Day One - Detailed map of the route>>

The 101st running of the Tour de France will begin outside the 19th century Town Hall in the heart of historic Leeds on Saturday, July 5.

From the steps of the concert venue the riders will head northwest out of the city centre and into the Yorkshire countryside. They will pass Harewood House, home of the Lascelles family for over 250 years, before they head to Skipton, gateway to the spectacular Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Up to this point the route is fairly flat, but once they enter the iconic Dales the terrain gets steeper as the riders race a semi-circular route across the contours of the valleys.

They leave at the north east edge of the National Park sweeping southeast through Leyburn and the cathedral city of Ripon, rejoining the flat roads to the pretty spa town of Harrogate.

It is here at the end of a long straight line finish that we will discover who will be the first rider to wear the famous yellow jersey of the 2014 Tour de France.

Day Two - Detailed map of the route>>

York is the venue for the start of stage two on Sunday, July 6.

After starting at Clifford’s Tower the peloton will head west passing through Harrogate once again before turning south and heading to Huddersfield via Haworth, home of literary sisters, the Brontës.

From here the cyclists will be able to stretch their legs on a number of steep sections before they arrive at the gateway to another National Park, the Peak District, on the edge of the Pennines.

The slopes start to get steeper here especially the stretch leading to Holme Moss, renowned as one of the toughest climbs in the whole of Great Britain.

There are still a few hills to cross before the cyclists arrive in the UK’s first city of sport Sheffield.

The last hill climb of the day is less than five kilometres from the finish in the northeast of the city next to the Don Valley Stadium.

THE world’s best cyclists will roll out of York Racecourse before riding past Clifford’s Tower and York Minster on the second stage of Le Grand Depart.

Riders will be setting off from York Racecourse on a route that will take them past Cliffords Tower, through the city centre and alongside the Minster.

Senior racecourse manager Tony Lee said: “In our history we have hosted the Queen, the Pope, Royal Ascot, the St Leger and the Olympic Torch. Now Le Tour is coming it’s fabulous news.”

The cyclists will leave the racecourse on Campleshon Road, before taking a right on to Bishopthorpe Road which they will follow on to Bishopgate Street and across Skeldergate Bridge.

Riding past Clifford’s Tower the peloton will move along Tower Street and Nessgate before entering the shopping precinct of Spurriergate and Coney Street.

A hair-pin style bend will then take the riders through St Helen’s Square and back along Davygate.

A right turn on to Church Street will eventually lead the riders on to Goodramgate before a left on to Deangate.

Riding alongside the Minster and on to Duncombe Place the cyclists will turn right on to St Leonard’s Place and out on Bootham.

The peloton will leave the city taking a left across Clifton Bridge, then along Boroughbridge Road, and out to Knaresborough on the A59.