Olympic silver medal-winning cyclist, Lizzie Armitstead, has hailed Yorkshire as the best cycling destination in the world.

The Tour de France Grand Depart will pass through her hometown of Otley on July 5.

“There’s such a buzz about cycling in Yorkshire at the moment,” said Armitstead. “On a personal level, I’m really looking forward to being a spectator for once and enjoying the race with my family and friends.”

Armitstead is an ambassador for the Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling on July 4 to 6 at Harewood House. For details, go to festivalofcycling.org.