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

She spoke of her pride in her home county’s cycling pedigree as she became an ambassador for the Dare 2b Yorkshire Festival of Cycling.

The Tour de France 2014 Grand Depart will pass through Armitstead’s hometown of Otley on July 5.

“There’s such a buzz about cycling in Yorkshire at the moment,” said Armitstead. “As a county we’ve produced some of the best cyclists in the world and we’re very proud of our cycling history.

“For me, Yorkshire’s the best cycling destination in the world; the scenery’s beautiful and the terrain is tough, relentless even, but it’s training in these conditions that makes Yorkshire’s cyclists such strong competitors.”

She continued: “On a personal level, I’m really looking forward to being a spectator for once and enjoying the race with my family and friends. We’ll be getting together at the Yorkshire Festival of Cycling to take part in as many events as we can, from the time trials and family rides to the mountain biking.”

The three-day Festival of Cycling event will be a celebration of all things cycling and takes place between July 4 and 6 at Harewood House.

For tickets and information, visit festivalofcycling.org.