The official launch ceremony for the 2014 Tour de France took place this morning in Paris, sparking weeks (if not months) of frenzied speculation as the cycling world settles down to analyse the implications of the chosen route.

That the Grand Départ would take place in Yorkshire was of course already known, but we now have the precise details of three UK stages that will start in Leeds on Saturday 5 July, and over three days of racing lead the peloton via Harrogate, York, Sheffield and Cambridge to London.

Mark Cavendish will be pencilled in among the early favourites for the opening stage, the flat finish into Harrogate presenting an ideal opportunity to wear yellow in a town that holds special meaning for the sprinter:

"I'm super excited about the first stage coming to Harrogate, my mother's hometown, I still have a lot of family there and it gives me an opportunity to wear the yellow jersey in front of my fans, so to dream of that is a big thing."

Across the water, the organisers have thrown in a few surprises - notably 16km of cobbled sections on stage 5 in northern France. It's safe to say that not all the riders will share the public's enthusiasm for cobbles. Chris Froome, attending the launch as reigning champion, told the Team Sky website:

"The cobblestones are going to make it interesting, that's for sure, and they are going to make a good addition to the race.

"For us as riders, it's a bit of a risk - there are accidents and mechanical problems that could happen - but it will make the race exciting and begin to sort the race out at an early stage."

While Froome welcomed the challenge, his team mate and 2012 winner Sir Bradley Wiggins is likely to be less enthused at the prospect of a parcours featuring just a single time trial. The time trial has been strategically scheduled on the penultimate stage, a 54km race against the clock from Bergerac to Péigueux that follows close on the heels of several tough days of climbing.

Five mountain finishes will have the likes of Nibali, Contador and Quintana fancying their overall chances, while elsewhere the race will commemorate World War I with stages near Verdun and Ypres.

It promises to be another fascinating contest, and the prospect of a 'home' start will only add to the excitement. Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity has said he expects up to two million people to attend the Yorkshire stages of the Tour and witness history: "People will realise it is a once-in-a-generation thing and they will turn out in big numbers."

Meanwhile, Welcome to Yorkshire have announced the installation of permanent road signs to mark the route of 2014's opening stages, allowing two-wheeled visitors to follow the route "for years to come."

Perhaps best of all, Le Tour Yorkshire has let slip plans to launch an official Grand Départ sportive. Think you can beat Quintana's time up Holme Moss? More on that as plans are announced...

Official Tour de France website: http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2014/us/

Grand D´part website: http://letour.yorkshire.com/

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