Le Tour’s Princess of fun!
Kate crowns winner of le glorious Tour de Yorkshire (now, does anyone ’appen to know t’way to Paris?)
...as Kate crowns Tour de Yorkshire cycle champ
THEY sped, whippet-fast, up hill and down dale, through bucolic villages of honey-coloured stone and over sparkling streams.
The Tour de France had come to Yorkshire. And the good folk of the county – not easily impressed, not normally given to extravagant emotion – were utterly entranced.
From Leeds to Harrogate yesterday there were exuberant scenes of flag-waving, cheering, screaming and clapping, with every conceivable vantage point occupied.
Some clung precariously to the tops of buildings. One woman seeking a better view fell through a roof in Skipton and had to be treated in hospital for cuts. It was only the second time the race had started in Britain, and they came from far and wide for a glimpse of the action.
Before the 198 riders zoomed through the countryside for the Tour de Yorkshire, they were welcomed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry for the ‘Grand Depart’ of the famous race.
First there was a spectacular Red Arrows display. Then, at 18th Century Harewood House, the riders took off their helmets for a rendition of the French and British national anthems, performed by the Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers.
The British reigning Tour de France champion, Chris Froome, looked relaxed as he talked to the Royal party, while fellow cyclist Mark Cavendish beamed and thanked the Duchess. Wearing a bottle-green Erdem coat over a green Suzannah dress, she cut the ribbon to officially start the race.
With the eyes of the world on the county, Yorkshire rose to the occasion. The French must have thoroughly approved.
Earlier, hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets of Leeds to watch the leisurely, ceremonial start of the race at the town hall.
Excited locals hoped that Cavendish would pedal to victory in the first stage, ending at his mother’s home town of Harrogate.
His day ended disastrously, however, when he was left with a dislocated shoulder after a crash with Australian Simon Gerrans 350 yards from the finish line.
After the announcement of the clash, the Duchess of Cambridge put her hands to her mouth and leant over the barrier to try to get a glimpse of the accident, 200 yards further down the road. The thousands of people watching with her also gasped in unison. Cavendish was cheered when he slowly crossed the finish line looking shocked and in pain. The stage was won by German Marcel Kittel, who received the yellow jersey from Kate.
David Cameron wrote on Twitter: ‘What a dramatic finish to stage 1 of the Tour, sadly it wasn’t Mark Cavendish’s day. Yorkshire has done the UK proud today though.’