So the tour de France starts off in Yorkshire today to the backdrop of Harewood house with 10s of thousands in attendance , showing Yorkshire off in all its verdant glory as with the Olympics we surly know how to stage an event . A few facts about le tour....3.5 billion world tv audience ,it attracts 12 million spectators along the route in a typical years race and 30% are women , and its the worlds largest annual sporting event.  As an avid cyclist I look forward to it arriving at Cambridge on Monday .