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| Leeds Arena hosts Tour de France opening ceremony | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Participants in the Tour de France have paraded through the centre of Leeds and taken part in the opening ceremony. | |
| Large crowds lined the route as all 198 riders travelled from Leeds University through the city centre to the arena. | Large crowds lined the route as all 198 riders travelled from Leeds University through the city centre to the arena. |
| The opening ceremony featured performances by Embrace, Opera North and Girls Aloud's Kimberley Walsh. | |
| The event also featured a presentation of all 22 teams taking part in the race. | |
| Defending champion Chris Froome, who received loud cheers as he rode into the arena, said: "It is the biggest event for us. I can't say how special it is to come back here as the defending champion." | |
| Martin Green, executive producer of the ceremony, said: "We have about 200 performers and a further 300 people on video really saying the people of Yorkshire welcome the world. | Martin Green, executive producer of the ceremony, said: "We have about 200 performers and a further 300 people on video really saying the people of Yorkshire welcome the world. |
| "We have really tried to raise the bar on how the Tour de France starts." | "We have really tried to raise the bar on how the Tour de France starts." |
| The Tour de France begins in Leeds on Saturday. | The Tour de France begins in Leeds on Saturday. |
| The first stage runs from Leeds to Harrogate with a second stage from York to Sheffield on Sunday. | The first stage runs from Leeds to Harrogate with a second stage from York to Sheffield on Sunday. |
| A third stage, from Cambridge to London, will take place on Monday. | A third stage, from Cambridge to London, will take place on Monday. |