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A record 2.5 million cycling fans will turn out to see the Tour de France on the day it reaches London next year, organisers said today.
Tour chiefs predicted unprecedented crowds as they unveiled details of a spectacular route through the capital that aims to rekindle the spirit of the Olympics.
In a repeat of the climax of last summer’s road event, Buckingham Palace will form the backdrop as the world’s top cyclists sprint down The Mall at the end of day three on Monday July 7.
A peloton of 200 riders will set out from Cambridge, entering London through Epping Forest before completing a circuit of the Olympic Park. They will then ride through the East End before turning westwards along the Thames and on to The Mall via Parliament Square.
Among the riders expected to be there are reigning Tour de France champion Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish, whose sprint expertise will suit the relatively flat leg on day three.
Mayor Boris Johnson said: “It has been the most incredible epoch in the history of cycling that any of us can remember.
“I am absolutely delighted that the world’s greatest cycling race is coming to the capital which will be 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.”
In its three-day visit to Britain in 2014, the Tour will start on Saturday July 5, with a 120-mile leg from Leeds to Harrogate via the Yorkshire Dales National Park. On day two, riders will go from York to Sheffield before travelling in vehicles along the M1 to Cambridge for the start of day three.
Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director, said he was “very glad to return to the magnificent city of London”. In 2007, one million people attended the opening day in London, with 1.5 million more lining the route to Canterbury the next day.
But Tour organisers expect to easily beat that figure for the event in London. Yorkshire and London/Cambridge were announced as hosts last month in a decision that was influenced by the success of the Games and race organisers being impressed with Britain’s enthusiasm for sport.
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While Yorkshire courted the race to boost tourism, Mr Johnson said he hoped the event would help continue the capital’s cycling revolution as well as providing a boost to the economy.
The London route shows riders using the A104 through Epping Forest, taking Waltham Forest to the Olympic Park and on to Royal Victoria Dock. They will turn west along the Highway and Victoria Embankment to The Mall.
The three-week Tour covers 2,200 miles and features 198 riders in 22 teams. Last year, Wiggins became the race’s first British winner. Lance Armstrong, who won seven consecutive Tours, has been stripped of his titles and banned for life for doping. He is expected to confess to taking drugs in an interview with Oprah Winfrey on US television tomorrow.