Tour de France 'will start in London'

London has emerged as the city most likely to host the spectacular opening stage of the 2007 Tour de France.

French officials, who have spent two months studying the London bid, said the capital's application appeared to be in pole position.

No announcement is expected until next autumn, although sources say it would be a surprise if London did not figure somewhere in the race route.

The capital seems to have beaten strong challenges from Utrecht and Rotterdam, both in the Netherlands, Lugano, Switzerland, and Herning in Denmark. London was able to offer the prospect of the world's top cyclists competing in a time-trial around Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and The Mall.

The route would provide the event with spectacular backdrops such as Big Ben and the London Eye.

Outside London, a second stage of about 125 miles would see riders pedal through Kent, including Tunbridge Wells. That would leave the whole Tour caravan facing only short journey across the Channel for the resumption of racing on French soil.

"The London bid is seen as a good one and the route is obviously attractive," said the source. "Taking the race there would be good for us and for them."

Philippe Bouvet, a senior cycling journalist at the French daily sports newspaper L'Equipe, who has covered 24 Tours, said: "I think the Tour organisers will do everything they can to go to London because it is a lot less complicated than Denmark, which will present logistical difficulties in getting the riders back to France."

If the plan succeeds, it would be the Tour's first visit to London for 12 years. The 1994 Tour en Angleterre attracted crowds of three million over two days.

Lance Armstrong, the Texan who has won the Tour six times, is not expected to take part in 2007 but the world's biggest cycle race always attracts the world's best riders. London'sbid has been put together by officials working for Mayor Ken Livingstone.

After handing over the bid document, he said: "It would be a fantastic honour for London's historic landmarks to join those of France and its capital in forming the backdrop to one of the world's greatest sporting events. We would guarantee the Tour de France one of its most spectacular grands departs."