After two days in Yorkshire, the peloton heads south for the third stage where it will take in Cambridge, Essex and London.
A grandstand finale is expected on The Mall, where British fans will be hoping Mark Cavendish can win in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
Cambridge
Cambridge hosts the start of stage three and with bike lovers ten-a-penny in the historic student city, there will be no shortage of fans seeking out the best vantage points.
The sign-on provides the opportunity to get up close to the riders and team buses before the stage in Parker’s Piece, which also hosts the city’s Anglia Ruskin University Big Weekend – which has been extended to the Monday to include the Tour de France, when it will be transformed into a cycling village.
Other great viewing spots include the iconic round church, or the world famous university colleges of Trinity, King’s and St John’s.
Epping Forest
Entering Essex through Saffron Walden, the peloton will then roll through to Epping Forest, where an intermediate sprint will play out on the High Street, perhaps offering an early indication of how the final sprint will pan out on the Mall.
And there will be no shortage of activities to enjoy in and around the area once the peloton – likely to include Essex favourite Alex Dowsett – has passed through on its way to central London.
The Mall
If it is a high-octane bunch sprint in front of one of the world’s most iconic landmarks that you’re after, then there is only one place to view stage three – The Mall.
All being well, the likes of Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel and Andre Greipel will be led down the famous road by their sprint trains at breakneck speeds on a finishing straight arguably as iconic as the Champs-Elysees.
With nearby spectator hubs in Green Park and Trafalgar Square both easily accessible from the finish, there will be plenty of cycling-related activities to enjoy as the peloton winds its way down to the capital.
Thousands crammed onto The Mall when the Tour last visited in 2007, and even more were there for the Olympic road race two years ago so expect plenty of noise, big crowds, and a pulsating atmosphere in front of Buckingham Palace.
