Watch the Tour de France Grand Départ

Cycling is like no other sport in the access it gives fans. The open road is the sport’s amphitheatre and, by and large, anyone can pitch up and grab a slice of the action.

Cycling’s greatest race, the Tour de France, is no different and this year it’s coming to the United Kingdom. Only on the television can you watch the race unfold pedal stroke by pedal stroke, but to watch from the roadside is a unique experience that enables you to understand the magnitude of the Tour.

The 2014 Tour de France starts with two stages in Yorkshire, before a third stage from Cambridge to London. The Grand Départ may be seven months away but now is the time to put plans in place. Accommodation is scarce so consider camping – the Yorkshire Festival of Cycling and Rapha Tempest Festival are local options, or find a spot on the route.

We’d recommend finding a climb, of which there are no shortage on the opening two days, to get the best view of the action. The peloton will flash by in seconds on the flat.

Make a day of it, arrive early, follow the stage on the radio, fight for souvenirs as the caravane rolls past, watch the television helicopter thud into view and drink in the atmosphere. Vive le Tour!