God’s own country (that’s Yorkshire) will be hosting the Grand Depart of the Tour de France 2014. Everyman and his dog are getting involved in some way or another. Below are some of the highlights Leeds Printing Company have picked out -
Velofest – Kilnsey, Yorkshire Dales
VeloFest is one of the UK’s largest celebrations of the grand départ in Yorkshire, situated in the spectacular Yorkshire Dales national park, alongside the stage 1 racetrack of the Tour de France. With camping, parking available for over 2000 vehicles, tiered viewing platforms offering far reaching views of the peloton, live music, open air cinema, cycle show including Yorkshire food village, trade stands including some of the finest cycling retailers, giant screen action of the race from start to finish, plus much more.
Yorkshire Festival of Cycling – Harewood House
The Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling runs from Friday 4 – Sunday 6 July 2014 at Harewood House, north of Leeds, and is home to the Official Ceremonial Start of this year’sTour de France at 11.40am on Saturday 5 July. Across the weekend, you’ll find a host of entertainment for all ages. Highlights include the opportunity to camp for 3 nights in one of England’s most beautiful estates, an incredible 2-acre Army Family Activities Zone, a huge shopping Expo, the chance to Beat the Brownlees in trail runs and cycling time-trials,live music, Kiddimoto’s ‘Tour de France for Kids’, a fly-past by the world famous Red Arrows, film screenings, A Night of Adventure, live sporting action on big screens and aBattle of Britain Memorial Flight on Sunday. For a schedule of highlights click here.
http://www.festivalofcycling.org/
Bicyclism
Bicyclism is a new exhibition about people in and around Leeds who inhabit cycling, its history and popular culture. A collaboration between photographer Casey Orr, writer/musician Boff Whalley and curator Jenny Harris, Bicyclism includes a series of new portraits of (extra) ordinary Leeds cyclists, from stunt bikers in skate parks to local men and women who pedal daily well into old age, alongside crowd-sourced and archive images of Leeds people on their bikes.
The exhibition will unearth stories and histories of the area’s cycling past, from the socialist Clarion Clubs to the role played by bicycles in the suffrage movement, from cycling café culture to the role of the many cycling clubs (and the cyclists) in Leeds’ social history, geography and landscape.
A new soundtrack composed using bicycles will accompany the exhibition. Watch the live at the Museum on Thursday 26th June.
The Opening Ceremony – Leeds Arena
The Tour de France 2014 Opening Ceremony and Team Presentation will see the biggest stars from the world of cycling grace the stage as part of a spectacular live entertainment event – it’s a chance for spectators to become a part of history.
It will be the biggest in the history of the Tour, taking place at the Leeds Arena on the evening of July 3, just two days before the Tour’s Yorkshire Grand Départ gets underway.
Yorkshire will welcome all 22 of the world’s best cycling teams, including the stars of British cycling, in a glittering ceremony showcasing some of the county’s top entertainment talent.
Yorkshire band Embrace will headline the event, their first arena gig since their recent sell-out comeback tour and album.
http://letour.yorkshire.com/the-grand-d%C3%A9part-2014/tour-de-france-opening-ceremony