Tour de France route announced

Boris Johnson said: It's been the most incredible epoch in the history of cycling that any of us can remember; and I am absolutely delighted that the world’s greatest cycling race is coming to the capital.

People will see London framed by shooting velocipedes for what will be a fantastic spectacle of sport. I am going to be in the crowd and I hope thousands more will too.”

Click here for detailed map of Tour de France route

The first stage will start on Saturday 5th July 2014 in front of Leeds Town Hall. The stage will cover 120 miles through the countryside before reaching Harrogate, where the first Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France 2014 will be awarded.

The next day, the riders will leave from York for Sheffield on a tricky 200 km stage. The peloton will head south on Monday 7th July, with a stage from Cambridge to London.

After passing the Olympic Park, the race will continue along the banks of the Thames and the city's monuments including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey. The finish will be on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

London mayor Boris Johnson said: "It has been the most incredible epoch in the history of cycling that any of us can remember; and I am absolutely delighted that the world's greatest cycling race is coming to the capital.

"People will see London framed by shooting velocipedes for what will be a fantastic spectacle of sport. I am going to be in the crowd and I hope thousands more will too."

British cities have begun celebrating news they will be hosting the Tour de France in 2014 after organisers confirmed stages will begin in Leeds, York and Cambridge. Details of the exact routes of the first three stages of the race were announced in Paris today.

These included confirmation that the third stage will take in the Olympic Park in London and finish in the capital, on The Mall. A delegation from Yorkshire is now heading back from Paris ahead of a grand celebration in Leeds tonight

Stage Three of the Tour de France next summer is expected to start in Cambridge and head south to London before making a circuit of the Olympic Park. It's reported it'll ultimately finish on the Mall with Buckingham Palace as a backdrop.

The finish will be the same one used for the Olympic road races last summer.

More than a million spectators watched the prologue in Central London in 2007 and police estimated more than 1.5 million people were roadside the following day for stage two to Canterbury.