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• Gilcar Farm holiday cottages for Tour de France Grand Départ in Yorkshire

Yorkshire will be “full” on the opening weekend of July 2014, with three million people set to line the roads to watch the first two stages of the Tour de France, the organiser of the eagerly-anticipated Grand Départ has predicted.

The first stage of the world’s most famous cycle race is a 190 km route through the Yorkshire Dales from Leeds to Harrogate, while the second is a hilly 200 km ride from York to Sheffield.

Fans who wish to cheer on Chris Froome, Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas will need to book their holiday accommodation soon, if Welcome To Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity is right about how popular the event will be.

Speaking at the 2013 Tour de France in Corsica, Mr Verity told ITV: “We imagine people will start arriving from all over Europe, indeed all over the world, in that week run-up and we think Yorkshire will be full for the weekend of the Grand Départ.”

Gilcar Farm holiday cottages, in the village of Emley near Huddersfield, are ideally located for spectators as they are close to the Tour’s route through Holmfirth and on to the demanding climb of Holme Moss.

The 524m peak is likely to be the highlight of the race’s time in Yorkshire, with the winding road set to be lined with tens of thousands of spectators to watch the riders battle their way up sections with gradients of up to 14%.

If you are a keen cyclist and want a Tour de France experience on two wheels, a stay in a holiday cottage in West Yorkshire at any time of the year is an excellent idea. You can ride parts of the race’s route at your own pace during your break, and even if you can’t match the times of the professionals, you will enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Click here to find out more about Gilcar Farm holiday cottages.