Date: July 07, 2007 to July 29, 2007

Tour de France started in 1903 by a Frenchman Henri Desgrange for publicizing his newspaper l’Auto. It is the world’s best cycling race, which is three week long and covers the areas near France and sometimes its neighboring countries. The tour is a stage race. The race is broken down into different stages from one town to another. As other cycling races, the participants enter as a part of the team. There are 20-22 teams with 9 riders each.

The 2007 Tour de France is the 94th Tour de France which will take place from July 7, 2007 to July 29, 2007. The organizers of the tour and the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, have announced that the tour will start in London. This is the third time the tour has visited UK. The first two stages of the tour are in commemoration of the victims of July 5, 2005 London bombings. The race will cover 20 stages and the total distance the tour will cover is 3553.9 km.

There are 20 separate stages of the race which are: 11 flat stages, 6 mountain stages, 1 medium mountain stage and 2 individual time-trial stage. The grand finale of race is set on 29th July at Paris Champs-Elysees, as the race will complete the eight laps of traditional circuit around Champs-Elysees. The final stage which finishes in Champ-Elysees is cobbled.

The opening ceremony of 2007 Grand Départ of the Tour de France will take place in Trafalgar Square, London on Friday, July 6.

The Caravanne Publicitaire and Prologue Time Trial, an individual trial time will start on July 7 in Whitehall will pass many attractions of London which include Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park. The winner of the Prologue will wear yellow jersey for Stage One.

In the Stage 1 of the race will start on Sunday, July 8. The racers will pass three bridges in London, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London before heading to Dartford in Kent and finishing the race in the historical Cathedral City of Canterbury.

Canterbury and Kent are expecting thousands of visitors along the route. The Canterbury City Council is all set prepared to welcome the riders. It has beaten other cities and has organized support event under the banner of Tour de Fun ensuring full entertainment to the riders as well as the spectators.

The grand finale of the Tour de France will end in Paris completing 8 laps of the traditional ciruit around the Champs-Elysees which covers the distance of 146 km.