DESPITE working 18-hour days in preparation for the Tour de France, Gary Verity says he feels “pretty chilled” with just three weeks to go.

Speaking in the kitchen of his Coverdale farmhouse, Mr Verity looks tired but healthy - a result of months of training to ride the route of the first stage of a race he is responsible for bringing to Yorkshire.

The farm near Carlton played an important role in the county being handed the job of hosting the historic race. In May 2012, Christian Prudhomme, the tour’s director general flew into the Dale on a helicopter borrowed by Welcome to Yorkshire.

The tour party were able to see for themselves the potential of the stunning Yorkshire landscapes to showcase the Grand Depart to a television audience of 150 million.

Mr Verity says years of hard work by the tourism agency, as well as local authorities and emergency services, means Yorkshire is now ready and waiting to “welcome the world”.

The tourism boss has travelled to watch the last three races in preparation for the county hosting the first two stages of the event, and he says people will be amazed at how big it is.

“It’s the biggest travelling circus in the world, it’s the biggest annual sporting event in the world and it’s huge.

“There are 600 vehicles in the race cavalcade, including 140 in the publicity caravan alone.

“Then you have 200 of the finest bike riders in the world, together with their entourage that follows alongside and behind them.

“In total that takes from start to finish three to three and a half hours to go past.”

He adds: “Some people who don’t know much about it say ‘oh it’s all over in the blink of an eye’.

“Well it can’t be - it takes three to three and a half hours – it’s an amazing spectacle.”

Mr Verity says there will be a “small town” of people accompanying the cyclists, including 2,500 accredited journalists, as well as 180 cameramen at fixed vantage points along the route, on the back of motorbikes and in eight helicopters.

There are even two fixed-wing planes packed with production staff who beam the footage back to the studios.

Discussing the legacy of the race to the Dales, Mr Verity says it will do more for the area’s tourism industry than James Herriot and All Creatures Great and Small.

“That had a certain appeal and certain markets, but cycling is universally popular in every continent on the planet, unlike soccer, cricket or American football which are only popular in certain countries - cycling transcends all continues, all nationalities.”

Mr Verity admits he is slightly disappointed that it appears 2012 Tour winner Bradley Wiggins will not be competing in this year's event,

But he still believes the race will be remembered for a long time.

"I'm sure Chris Froome will be a worthy defending champion and if it comes to pass that Wiggins is not on the start line, as looks likely , people will cheer all the more loudly on day one for Mark Cavendish.

"Everyone is rooting for Cavendish to have a victory in the home town of his mother.

"That is the one that will make Harrogate famous on the international map. Yorkshire will be famous on the international map for sure after the Grand Depart. Five hours of coverage on the Saturday around the world in 190 countries.

"And another five hours the next day, but Harrogate's moment of fame will come if Cavendish wins on the Stray - they will make a Hollywood movie about it."

Mr Verity accepts there will be some people who will not welcome the inconvenience of Yorkshire hosting the tour, but he believes even they will get something from the event.

"The tour does one thing - it magnifies your true emotions, it does that as a cyclist, it does that as a spectator and it does that as a commentator, whether you are a professional commentator or a man or woman in the pub giving your views on it.

"I have seen that over the three or four years of this journey first hand. The people who are great people have become even greater because of this. The people who are generous of spirit have become even more generous of spirit because of this.

“The people who like something to complain about and who are only happy when they’re whingeing this has absolutely given them what they want so we are delighted that we have given everyone exactly what they want.”

And what will happen after the race?

“I’m going to have a sleep,” says Mr Verity.

And when he wakes there is the task of agreeing that Yorkshire holds an annual major bike race - with the ultimate goal of becoming Europe’s cycling capital.

“This is the start of the journey not the end,“ he adds.