Everything You Need To Know To Watch The Tour De France 2014: Stage Schedules, Routes And Maps

Nearly 2 million fans lined the streets of Leeds on Saturday to watch the first stage of the 21-stage Tour De France premier bicycling race. TV viewers just tuning in mid-stage might have been surprised to see the 198 cyclists peddling through a British city, but this is the fourth Tour in the event's 101-year history to include stages in England, with additional stages happening in Belgium and Spain.

There are nine new cities on the 40-city, 2,277-mile route this year: Leeds (stage 1), Harrogate (stage 1), York (stage 2), Sheffield (stage 2) and Cambridge (stage 3), all in England; Ypres (stage 5), Oyonnax (stage 11), Risoul (stage 14) and Maubourguet Pays du Val d’Adour (stage 19).

Stage 3 concluded in London on Monday afternoon with some riders criticizing the crowds for dangerously trying to take selfies too close to the course. On Tuesday, July 8, Stage 4 starts in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage and finishes 101 miles later in Lille Métropole. Check out the route of each stage on the map below:

The race covers 2,277 miles (3,664 km) in 21 stages and will conclude on July 27th. Here is a full schedule of the stages of the 2014 Tour De France:

Below are official elevation and route maps for each stage: