The latest report into the preparations being made for the start of this year’s Tour de France has been released today.
The readiness report is the latest produced by TdFHUB2014 Ltd, the government-created company overseeing planning and delivery of this year’s race when it begins in July.
The report gives an update on the work carried out by the company working with local authorities and partners on the preparations for the largest annual sporting event in the world, which begins in Leeds on Saturday 5 July with the first of two stages in Yorkshire before moving south for stage three from Cambridge to London on Monday 7 July.
The readiness report is the second of three to be published by TdFHUB2014 Ltd, following the first released at the end of December with a third to follow in June shortly before the Grand Départ. View the report in full.
The report gives an update into the progress achieved across all key areas of the operational planning and preparations for the race, which will cover 349 miles of roads watched by an expected roadside audience in the millions, making it one of the biggest free sports events ever held in Britain.
Areas covered in the report include: The Tour Makers volunteer programme, route preparations, ongoing community and business engagement, procurement, safety and security testing.
There is also an update on the work being done to assess how the economy will benefit from hosting Le Tour, which is expected to generate in excess of £100million.
It also updates the current budget position, which includes the ongoing process of refining all aspects of the budget to ensure value for money. As with any such large-scale and complex event, some costs have proven higher than expected while other areas have produced savings. A process of ‘value engineering’ is underway to keep costs down and savings are being directed to other areas of the programme.
Chair of TdFHUB2014 Ltd Sir Rodney Walker said: "I am very pleased to say everything remains on track to deliver a world-class sporting event for the UK, centred on Yorkshire and the south of England, and the global audience to enjoy. The team and all our partners are working well together with the clear aim of making this the best start to the Tour de France ever seen.
“There are budget fluctuations as you would expect with any such major event, but we are managing them and I remain fully confident the event will be a fantastic success for the country."
Minister for Sport and Tourism Helen Grant MP said: "The Government is right behind the Tour de France in the UK investing up to £10 million worth of funding to help stage the biggest road race in the world. I am sure spectators will come out in force to watch the action and I am pleased that plans are on track to deliver a fantastic Yorkshire Grand Depart and third stage from Cambridge to London."
UK Sport Chief Executive Liz Nicholl said: "I welcome this second readiness report from our subsidiary company TdFHUB2014 Ltd and am pleased with the progress and assurances made around the planning and delivery of this very special sporting event. I am confident we will do the nation proud when the 2014 Tour de France sets off from British soil on 5th, 6th and 7th July, enabling the British public to be a part of this historic moment as well as inspiring all generations to get and stay active."
Milestones from now to race day include:
- March 27: 100 days to go to July 5
- April: Transport, traffic and crowd management plan in place
- May: Safety plans signed off, ‘Fête du Tour’ local celebration events
- June: Final stage rehearsals and resilience testing
- July: Grand Départ events and stages 1-3