T-100: five reasons this year’s Grand Depart will be the best ever

Pinch yourself: the Tour de France is coming to Great Britain this July, not only for the Grand Depart – though that in itself would be reason enough to be cheerful – but for three full stages. We thought we were excited until we headed to Harrogate, the home town of Mark Cavendish’s mother and the town at which the first stage will end (hopefully with victory and a yellow jersey for Cav), for T-100: an event marking 100 days to the Grand Depart.

We weren’t alone. Among those who’d travelled to Yorkshire were Bernard Hinault, a five-time winner of cycling’s greatest race and a man entitled to use the word ‘legend’ in his passport, and 83-year-old Brian Robinson, Britian’s first Tour de France stage winner, who couldn’t have guessed as he raised his arms in triumph in 1958 that the Tour would one day be held on his training roads.

We caught up too with Pierre-Yves Thouault, Christian Prudhomme’s chief lieutenant and the man who calls the shots from the race director’s red car when the action is underway, and with Yorkshire pro, Dean Downing (NFTO). Experience the growing sense of excitement for yourself by following this link.