Скачать или смотреть Le Tour gets royal send-off in Yorkshire

Le Tour gets royal send-off in Yorkshire
The 101st Tour de France is under way in Yorkshire after riders received a royal send-off from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.

Thousands gathered in Leeds for the ceremonial start with up to two million spectators expected across the county.

The race officially started at 12:00 BST at Harewood House after the 198 riders rode in a "neutralised procession" from Leeds Town Hall.

The 190km (118-mile) first stage will finish in Harrogate at about 16:30.
The royal party met the riders at Harewood House where they were also be greeted by a Red Arrows fly-past.

George Hughes, who joined the crowds outside the Town Hall together with his wife and children, said: "It's tremendous. It's going to be fantastic for Leeds and Yorkshire. It's just amazing. I hope it will come back again. It's something to remember for the rest of our lives."

One spectator, Susie, said she was among hundreds of fans who camped overnight for a glimpse of the race.

She said: "It's really fantastic. It's been so exciting. We got a really good spot, saw the royals land and saw the cyclists go past. It's been fabulous."

Her daughter Milly said "I enjoyed seeing Prince William and Princess Kate land in the helicopter. The Red Arrows were really good too. It was really cool."

Months of planning and preparation have been put into making sure the event got a good start.
The 21-stage, 3,664km (2,277-mile) race started in Leeds with the second stage running from York to Sheffield and the third from Cambridge to London, before 18 more stages culminate in the French capital on 27 July.

It is the fourth time the Tour has crossed La Manche (The English Channel).

In 1974 and 1994 it included stages in Britain and in 2007 London hosted the start, known as the Grand Depart.

Four of the 198 riders are British, with Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome, who are two of the main contenders, joined by Geraint Thomas and Simon Yates.
Mark Cavendish, whose mother Adele is from Harrogate, has attempted to play down his focus on taking the race leader's yellow jersey in the town for the first time in his career, but there is no doubt it is a major goal.

The rider from the Isle of Man used to visit his grandparents in the spa town.

Relative to the mountain stages the riders will face in France, the opening stage has been described as flat, but it is up and down all day and the sprinters could face challenging conditions if showers slicken the twisting roads in the Dales.

The race's first categorised climb, the Cote de Cray - the ascents have been given French prefixes - comes 68km (42 miles) into the day's racing and the Cote de Buttertubs and Cote de Grinton Moor follow, with the summit of the latter 61km (40 miles) from the finish line.