TICKETS for the opening ceremony of the Tour de France go on sale this week.

More than 10,000 people will see reigning tour champion Chris Froome and sprint star Mark Cavendish line up alongside the 22 teams taking part in this year's race at the ceremony on July 3 at Leeds Arena.

The event, being held two days before the race starts by passing through the Yorkshire Dales, Ripon and Harrogate, will see the teams joined by live entertainment and acts, set to be announced in the coming weeks.

It is the first time the world's largest annual sporting event will have had a large-scale team presentation ceremony.

The race's director Christian Prudhomme said: "The team presentation this year in Leeds will be a first for the Tour and we hope it will become a template for team presentations in the future.

"It shows how much passion there is for cycling in the UK and Yorkshire's Grand Depart."

The Northern Echo:
11-year-old Lily Verity with the trophy at Tennants

The Grand Depart trophy will also take pride of place at locations in Richmondshire this week, starting in Tennants Auction Centre in Leyburn today (Tuesday, April 22).

Julie Moody from Tennants said: “We had a steady stream of visitors coming to see the trophy, which will be awarded to the winner of the Grand Depart stage of the Tour.

“Also on show was a Scott Addict bike, ridden by Mark Cavendish during the 2010 season, which will appear in our July 2 sporting sale."

Ticket for the opening ceremony range from £45 to £85 and are available to buy from 9am on Friday (April 25) by visiting firstdirectarena.com.