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The most famous cycle race in the world, the Tour de France,
stormed through Kent on Sunday 8 July 2007 to a huge welcome from
massive crowds right along the route.
TV pictures of the Garden of England bathed in summer sunshine
were beamed to people in 140 countries as two million roadside
spectators cheered their support and waved the riders on.
Street parties, festivals, events, picnics and music were all
part of a day of fun and festivities as the free-to-view event
caught Kent up in all its magic.
Police said that the people of Kent responded magnificently to
the visit of the Tour, with not a single incident reported along
the whole route.
Tour organisers and riders, meanwhile, were stunned. Winner
Robbie McEwen said he had never seen crowds like those in Kent.
Tour Director Christian Prudhomme added: "The enormous crowds in
Kent have taken our breath away. The Tour has been staggered by the
warm reception we have been given by the British public."
As well as working in partnership with Kent County Council to
bring the Tour to Kent, districts across the county arranged events
galore to ensure that there was plenty for spectators to do while
waiting for the arrival of the cyclists.
Places like Tenterden, Sissinghurst, Goudhurst, Hadlow and
Southborough put on special events for other people. Hundreds of
thousands of others simply found themselves a spot on the route and
enjoyed a great Kent day out with friends and neighbours.
Race highlights
Australian Robbie McEwen had an amazing comeback, pushing through
some 100 riders to cross the finish line first.
It was a different story 5km from the finish line, after another
rider hit McEwen from behind, sending him crashing over the
handlebars.
British hope David Millar led a breakaway for much of the day, and
was rewarded with the King of the Mountains jersey. He also jumped
up to third in those standings after landing time bonuses on the
road.
Fabian Cancellara, who won Saturday's Prologue, held onto the
overall leader's yellow jersey.
Race route
The race - the biggest annual sporting event in the world -
travelled from London, across Kent, to a Stage One finish in the
Cathedral City of Canterbury. It was the climax of the Grand Depart
weekend, which began with the presentation of the teams to the
public in Trafalgar Square on Friday evening (6 July) and continued
with a Prologue Time Trial around the streets of the capital on the
Saturday.
Benefits to Kent
Watched by millions of TV viewers worldwide as well as around
two million people lining the streets, the
benefits
to Kent are huge. The race showcased Kent's glorious Garden of
England countryside at its best, raising the profile of the county
and no doubt doing a great job of attracting tourists from far and
wide.
TV coverage showed spectacular views of Kent's countryside,
castles and towns from Dartford to the finish in Canterbury -
footage that is destined to prove a huge boost to tourism and
business opportunities in the county.
Pre-race predictions suggested that the Tour de France would
bring tourism and economic investment worth £37 million to the
county, and with the day itself proving an unprecedented success,
that figure is now likely to be seen as a
minimum. |