London ready for Tour de France

Tour de France cyclists will finish the last stage of the Grand Depart on the Mall. Credit: Credit: PA

The world's top cyclists will race through London today in the final British leg of the Tour de France.

Riders will set off from Epping Forest just before 1pm and finish at the Mall at around 3.30pm this afternoon.

The tour travels from Cambridge to London via Essex this morning for Stage 3 of the Grand Depart.

Riders will already have cycled for 73 miles today before reaching Greater London; the last British location of the Tour before it heads to Paris.

After entering London from the north east at Epping Forest, Tour riders will pass through the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park before heading into the city centre.

They will follow a route alongside the Thames, passing iconic London landmarks including the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey.

Today will be the first time London has hosted a stage of the Tour de France since the race's prologue in 2007.

When they finally reach the end of the UK leg outside Buckingham Palace this afternoon, the competitors will have cycled nearly 340 miles (546km) over three days.