See the caravane rolling along Leeds Headrow and into Yorkshire countryside

So what’s so special about the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire? You line the streets for hours, the peloton flies past and there you have it, on they go. The Tour of Britain does it every year, so why should we make a big effort for the Tour de France? Well, it is simple really: the Tour de France is the biggest cycling race in the world – thanks to a huge budget and global interest – and race organisers go to great lengths to ensure each stage is a daily spectacle – with the publicity caravane a huge part of it.

It is not every day the Tour de France rolls past your front door and organisers want to make sure everybody along the route gets to enjoy it to the full. Tour organisers say nearly half of spectators come specifically for the caravane – and who can blame them. A carnival of colour, with floats of all colours, shapes and sizes advertising – and distributing – the wares of Tour sponsors. The parade, lasting more than 45 minutes, has become an integral part of the Tour in its own right and is a chance for fans to grab a souvenir.