How York celebrated 2014 Le Grand Depart of Tour de France

The first two stages of the 2014 race began in Yorkshire over July 5 and 6, pedalling off from Leeds with the famous peloton leaving York racecourse the following morning and winding through the city's historic streets before making tracks for Harrogate.

The race finished in the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 27.

Many readers will have vivid memories of the day - and the lead-up to the event, when yellow bunting and bicycles were displayed across the city and across Yorkshire.

School children got excited too - celebrating all things French and even making a mural.

The famous ride brought York to a standstill on July 6, 2014. Riders set off from York Racecourse on a route that took them along Bishopthorpe Road then across Skeldergate Bridge leading up past Clifford's Tower.

July 2014 - The Tour de France passes through York, after the Grand Depart was brought to Yorkshire by Welcome to Yorkshire

The peloton rode through the city centre, along Coney Street, before negotiating a hair-pin bend through St Helen's Square and back along Davygate.

Riders then took a left on to Church Street, then made for Goodramgate and Deangate, and cycled past the Minster along Duncombe Place.

The stage left York through Bootham before crossing Clifton Bridge, taking it out on Boroughbridge Road, and along the A59 to Knaresborough and Harrogate.

But the fun didn't end there. York racecourse had set up giant screens for crowds to watch the departure and the ride through the city and beyond.

It was quite a sporting day for the UK that day - the men’s final at Wimbledon and the British Formula One Grand Prix were also taking place and were shown on the big screens at Knavesmire too.

What are your memories of Le Grand Depart? Share them in our Facebook group - Why We Love York - Memories at facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia.