The confirmation that Otley will feature in stage one of the 2014 Tour de France’s Grand Depart has been hailed in the town.

Otley Cycle Club, which organised its first Cycling Festival last summer, is delighted with the news.

Cycling coach Charles Rhodes said: “This is fantastic and we’d like to build on the legacy of last year’s Olympics, and now of the Tour coming to Otley and to Yorkshire, in particular through the cycle coaching which we’re offering and will be providing this year.”

Otley Town Council leader Councillor John Eveleigh (Lab, Ashfield) says it is another major boost to Otley’s ever-growing reputation as a cycling ‘mecca’.

He said: “Following on from Lizzie Armitstead’s achievement in the Olympics, this is great news for the town.

“Otley is, rightly, gaining a huge reputation as a cycling centre and this news can only enhance that, and help to put Otley in the shop window.”

Silver medal-winning cyclist Lizzie – the patron of Otley Cycle Club – herself expressed her joy at the prospect of Otley hosting part of Le Tour in December, when she said it would be “pretty special” to watch it going through her home town.