So, the stage details for the Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour De France have been announced today. Certainly, there will be an impact on the Eastern side of the Pennines with a potential impact on the weekend's fixtures during that first weekend of July.

Given the mentality of the RFL, what's the betting they schedule games at Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield over that weekend ?

On the other hand, Leeds Vs Catalans on the Friday night might be very attractive ....

Knowing the RFL they will probably move the Challenge Cup final to that weekend.

Why would they do that?

Although I'm not a big cyclist I am really looking forward to seeing this in person.
It's great for Yorkshire and the areas that it's visiting.

I hope we do a "cycling theme" for the Catalans game, hopefully that'll get some great news coverage!

I am really excited to hear that this event is coming through my home town of Knaresborough. I shall be watching with thousands of others. Hope I get a good view!

To be honest the build up to a cycle event passing through is worth the wait, there will probably be lots of freebies chucked into the crowd etc, but the actual passing by is over and done with in 30 seconds.

We followed the Tour of Britain for a couple of years and they used part of the course that Le Tour is going to use, Holme Moss in particular which will be a good vantage point (weather permitting) but very crowded, the Tour of Britain did the Holme Moss/Snake Pass circuit twice so you got to see the whole thing two times then a dash for the car and chase it down into New Mill where they passed through 20 mins later - you'd need to see a proper map of the route of Le Tour to see if there are any similar vantage points though.

scheduling the Leeds Catalans game at headingley on the friday evening coupled with some effective grand depart marketing throughout the UK and France would be fantastic. The Cats game always suffers attendance wise as understandably the french don't travel in huge numbers to every game. This could be the opportunity to bring them in in numbers . In addition there will be the small matter of the thick end of 3 million people in the region probably from all over the world. If the club aren't talking to the RFL about this already then they should be. The club did seem to have a decent presence at the announcement last night though, so I suspect this is in their thinking. I presume Leeds CC will have all manner of french and cycling themed events lined up for the weekend. Its going to be fantastic and Im have already pencilled in a trip down from Morpeth

Sounds good to me.

My initial thoughts is that I'll try get into Harrogate for the finish of the first day.

I've started saving now so I can hopefully afford Afternoon Tea in Bettys!

Surely you could blag a free scone or something?

There's a Greggs about 50 yards away from Betty's.

More your style, less of a queue.

Don't worry about freebies. I have sent a few tentative emails out fishing already. Sure to be a few sponsors setting up marques at the start, along the route or at the finish. Should be able to blag something

Judging by the map of the route I've seen, it looks as though it takes in the famous Cragg Vale incline from Mytholmroyd up to the Lancashire border.
Nearly a thousand feet of ascent in a five and a half mile slog ... it's the longest continuous road incline in England.
Most weekends see cyclists testing themselves on it, so I guess the organisers couldn't miss that section out.