An estimated 100,000 people cheered on the riders as the Tour de France cycle race electrified York today (Sunday, July 6).
It was a day to match any in the city’s 2,000 year history for colour, fun and spectacle.
The rain stopped, York’s ancient streets, bedecked with bikes and bunting, looked fabulous, the organisation was superb.
Starting from the racecourse and processing through the city past Clifford’s Tower and the Minster, the Tour de France peloton was given rousing cheers at by huge crowds at every stage.
Now the Grand Départ has grandly départed, here are a few things we can take away…
1. The racecourse provided a superb start
The riders leave York racecourse for stage 2 of the Tour de France. #TDF2014 #TDF #TDFyorkshire pic.twitter.com/BeiXsIbbsn
— Racing Post (@RacingPost) July 6, 2014
This was the scene earlier at York Racecourse. @chrisfroome looking focused. Huge support for #TDF2014 #TourFever pic.twitter.com/lH5jQr0j7c
— Team Sky (@TeamSky) July 6, 2014
Spotted: Chris Froome going to the start line in #York #TDF2014 #teamsky pic.twitter.com/GRSAgGCK8k
— Rebecca Suner (@becksunyer) July 6, 2014
Incroyable ambiance à York ! #TDF2014 #Twittcyclos #RT https://t.co/43npB6swLQ
— Josselin Riou (@josselin_riou) July 6, 2014
Huge crowds again for start of day 2 #tdf2014 #York. pic.twitter.com/nPjZw8dGyv
— Matt Keenan (@FakeMattKeenan) July 6, 2014
#TDF2014 #TDF start line #York pic.twitter.com/boRiD4QO17
— Antony Powell (@antonypowell) July 6, 2014
2. The flypast was awesome
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Click pictures for a closer look. Photographs: Richard McDougall
York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/uR8C3TLfFt
— jonlaws (@jonalaws1) July 6, 2014
Fly pass over York #tdf2014 https://t.co/qqca0bEWdp
— Jamie Freshwater (@jamiefreshwater) July 6, 2014
3. We had the best backdrop of Le Tour
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Click images for a closer look. Photographs: Richard McDougall
This morning with @bishwife outside York Minster as the cyclists went by… #TDF2014 @BBCYork @BBCtdf pic.twitter.com/IPrtJr9bw8
— Lucy Vladev (@LucyVladev) July 6, 2014
Speechless in York. Amazing Minster scene. #TDF2014 #TDF #letour #letouryorkshire #yorkshire http://t.co/88XE8b11tQ pic.twitter.com/8zeumxTeg1
— simon henry (@simlington) July 6, 2014
#TDF2014 #TDFyorkshire @letouryorkshire passes through #York and @Bettys1919 @yorkpress pic.twitter.com/g9dj4QSrp9
— Anthony Chappel-Ross (@AnthonyChappelR) July 6, 2014
Crowds below the Minster #TDFyorkshire #TDF pic.twitter.com/5TwYXdO7kY
— York Minster (@York_Minster) July 6, 2014
4. We couldn’t have got any closer
@marcelkittel Great day in York! #TDF2014 #TDFyorkshire pic.twitter.com/0szakki433
— Sarah Gascoyne (@thegargles) July 6, 2014
#Kittel leading the peloton @BBCtdf @letouryorkshire @bbclooknorth pic.twitter.com/u9RxNUylBh #york #tdf2014
— eleanor houldcroft (@ehouldcroft) July 6, 2014
#TdF riders going through York #TdFYorks #TdF2014 pic.twitter.com/TQVEPnbckR
— George Hinton (@georgehinton) July 6, 2014
@letouryorkshire @yorkpress #TDF2014 #letouryorkshire Great Day in York! pic.twitter.com/FhibdN3z12
— Merisis Technology (@MerisisTech) July 6, 2014
@letouryorkshire @tinkoff_saxo @TeamSky #york #tdf2014 #tdfyorkshire #toomuchlycra pic.twitter.com/wZYiQz6nb8
— Matt Cornock (@mattcornock) July 6, 2014
#TdF2014 riders coming down Bootham in #York pic.twitter.com/luvON93It3
— Michael Swires (@michaelswires) July 6, 2014
5. The whole city entered into the spirit
#tourdefrance #tourdeyorkshire #York #Yorkshire #YorkshireGrandDepart #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/d8hyA0k4fb
— Allyson Pulleyn (@AllysonPulleyn) July 6, 2014
@NYorksPolice 1 for u on Skeldergate Bridge #TDF2014 #TDF #tdfpolicepics #York. Young recruits Mieszko and Wojciech pic.twitter.com/dS8hz2eJOI
— Marek Lichtarowicz (@deepestsuburbia) July 6, 2014
@TeamGB Supporting Team GB and the #TDF2014 from our house in York. What an amazing 2 days so far! #TDF pic.twitter.com/7y4x4ky7cI
— Craig Ratcliffe (@craigratcliffe) July 6, 2014
@NicR4"@TrishBrewster1: @JonHillITV @itvcalendar Loli from York doing her bit #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/dAo77erRON"
— Jim Johnson (@jim_johnson24) July 6, 2014
York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/UN0k6iJmtq
— jonlaws (@jonalaws1) July 6, 2014
#tdf2014 comes to York! pic.twitter.com/cIT7B7G7Vr
— James Christian (@Wetwangpikey) July 6, 2014
Great atmosphere near Knavesmire! Take care over the speed humps guys! @LeTour_York @BBCtdf #TDFyorkshire pic.twitter.com/NBuDy5kAhq
— York Bike Belles (@YorkBikeBelles) July 6, 2014
#TDF2014 Excitement builds in York. pic.twitter.com/BioMI9hrbD
— Jessie's Fund (@JessiesFund) July 6, 2014
Life doesn't get much better than this! York Knavesmire 2nd Stg Tour de France @letouryorkshire @yorkpress #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/DHwapNsa0l
— Tom Lambert (@snapper_tom) July 6, 2014
My favourite decorated house down on Poppleton Road #York – deserves to be on course @yorkpress #tdf2014 pic.twitter.com/VpNYl5SQ3J
— Richard Bridge (@richardbridge7) July 6, 2014
York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/JqQ5TPIHRk
— jonlaws (@jonalaws1) July 6, 2014
6. There were thrills and spills
York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/aRP8VvhVH0
— jonlaws (@jonalaws1) July 6, 2014
7. It was over in a flash…
Worth the wait… all 3 seconds of it #tourdefrance #York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/SxdIUz7m6B
— Leadamo (@Social_Lead_Gen) July 6, 2014
8. …but then the party really started
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Click images for a closer look
French classics on the high street with Joan of Arc for #TDF2014 and #YorkshireGrandDepart in York pic.twitter.com/XsW3gPMocv
— Andrew Dyer (@andrewjdyer) July 6, 2014
9. It was very well organised
York #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/FCf3fY4Kfx
— jonlaws (@jonalaws1) July 6, 2014
10. We did ourselves proud
Well done #York! What an amazing send off for the second stage of @letouryorkshire. #TDF2014 pic.twitter.com/jMw94ok7cc
— York Adventurers (@YorkAdventurers) July 6, 2014
#TDF2014 @itvcycling #york Looking forward to another great day of racing! pic.twitter.com/M6jlf5Z8NB
— Stephen Nichols (@Steve_Nichols) July 5, 2014
It was a great weekend and the atmosphere was amazing. The flypast was a really great photo-opportunity it lasted a bit longer than the peloton flying by but the whole thing was tremendous.