Editor’s comment: What is the Tour de France legacy?

Crowds on Parliament Street wait for the sprint finish. Picture by Graham Roberts. (S)Crowds on Parliament Street wait for the sprint finish. Picture by Graham Roberts. (S)
Crowds on Parliament Street wait for the sprint finish. Picture by Graham Roberts. (S)
What is the legacy of the Tour de France in our district?

It is undoubtedly the massive boost it gave to our economy, and especially to our tourism industry.

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It was no coincidence that almost 1,000 people attended the White Rose Awards organised by Welcome to Yorkshire this week to celebrate an amazing year, and some amazing achievements. It made the awards ceremony the biggest in the country, and there were some fantastic success stories.

The other obvious legacy is the massive rise in the popularity of cycling. More and more people have taken up the sport and enjoy this pastime.

The third legacy was a spin off from the Tour De France, but a very welcome one. The Tour engendered a massive feeling of community spirit right across the district.

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People came together as one to celebrate this huge global event and afterwards, on a sunny July evening, wandered the traffic free streets, meeting friends and enjoying the party atmosphere.

Harrogate Council plans to hold an festival style event on Harrogate Stray next summer, linked to the anniversary of the Tour De France so we can enjoy recreating that magical atmosphere.