Team responsible for London Grand Départ takes prestigious Visit London award.
"London's iconic sites were shown around the world"
Peter Hendy
London's Transport Commissioner

Transport for London (TfL) has won the Visit London Sports Tourism Award for its delivery of the Grand Départ of the 2007 Tour de France. 

The Tour de France began in the UK for the first time in its 100 year history on 6, 7 and 8 July 2007.

The award came the day after TfL announced that the Tour de France weekend brought an estimated £88m in economic benefit to London and Kent. 

The Tour de France also gave London and cycling a huge media profile.

London was heralded as a great venue for world-class events in media around the world, generating an estimated value of £35m in coverage.

An estimated two million spectators from London, the UK and overseas lined the Capital's streets during the Grand Départ weekend. 

More cycle journeys

London has also seen a 10.5 per cent increase in the number of people cycling on London's major roads in the six months from April to September compared with the same period last year - an estimated 48,000 more cycle journeys everyday.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said: "London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, and his team at Transport for London deserve the plaudits for what was a brilliantly organised event.  

"Two million people lined the Capital's streets during the weekend, many of them visitors from overseas and from other parts of the UK. 

"They were given a great welcome by the Capital and a fantastic weekend's entertainment.

London's iconic sites were shown around the world

"The success of the Tour de France shows the economic benefits that these types of event can bring to London.

"The Tour has generated well over £100m in spending and publicity, which will in turn attract more visitors and encourage the organisers of future sporting events to choose London. 

"Transport for London has already opened negotiations to bring this great race back to London - I hope before 2012."

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said: "The main reasons we brought the Tour to London were to boost the number of people cycling in the Capital and to promote London as a visitor destination. We did just that.

Tourism benefits

"London's iconic sites were shown around the world and the tourism benefits will be seen for years to come."

The Tour de France was brought to London and Kent by the Mayor of London and TfL, with the support of the London Development Agency, Visit London, Metropolitan Police, The Royal Parks British Cycling, Sport England, UK Sport, Kent County Council, South East England Development Agency, Canterbury City Council and Medway Council.

Notes to editors:

  • TfL's Special Projects Team beat off competition from Arsenal FC Stadium Tours, Face Partnership - Smithfield  Nocturne and London Blue Badge Guides
  • The Tour de France is owned by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO)
  • London Development Agency is the Mayor of London's agency for driving London's sustainable economic growth. Its job is to make sure London remains a global success story - next year, the next decade and beyond, promoting London as the World City
  • The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is the Government funded agency responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the South East of England - the driving force of the UK's economy. Its aim is to create a  prosperous, dynamic and inspirational region by helping businesses compete more effectively, training a highly skilled workforce, supporting and enabling our communities while safeguarding our natural resources and cherishing our rich cultural heritage
  • The London Grand Départ of the Tour de France has been supported by UK Sport's National Lottery-funded World Class Events Programme, which aims to secure events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. More than 120 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the Programme since 1997
  • British Cycling is the internationally recognised governing body of cycling in the UK, running the number one ranked GB cycling team; servicing 20,000 members; and providing thousands of sport and leisure cycling opportunities every year
  • Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. Their role is to promote London as the most exciting city on the planet, targeting domestic and overseas leisure and business visitors as well as Londoners. It works in partnership with the Mayor, the London Development Agency and the tourism industry in London
  • Canterbury is a world-class destination, with a perfect blend of historic features and modern facilities. To visitors, the city is simply inspirational, while the rest of the Canterbury district offers fabulous coast and countryside, ensuring that modern-day pilgrims are bound to be spoilt for choice
  • Kent County Council is rated as a four star authority and is responsible for providing a wide range of services for Kent's 1.3 million residents. Services provided include roads, schools, social services, libraries, adult education centres, trading standards and planning which affect the daily lives of people living, visiting or working in Kent. It is one of the largest counties in England and is  widely known as the Garden of England for its stunning countryside
  • Medway is one of the biggest and most significant urban areas in the south-east outside London, made up of the towns of Strood, Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham and Rainham, and rural outlying areas. Medway Council works in partnership with private, public  and voluntary sectors to serve the people of Medway. The council is responsible for an established and successful programme of  events, reflecting the area's rich and diverse history. Medway is an integral part of the Thames Gateway and is striving to become the  city of learning, culture, tourism and high technology for the gateway
  • Sport England is a non-departmental public body and lottery distributor which exists to sustain and increase participation in  community sport. Through the Tour de France, Sport England is encouraging people to be inspired and get involved in cycling in their local communities