Great Britain is "set to host up to five stages" of the Tour de France in either '14 or '15 after race organizers gave the green light to an "audacious Scottish-led bid" under which the race would begin in Edinburgh, Scotland and take in parts of England and Wales as well, according to Brendan Gallagher of the London TELEGRAPH. The route would finish "as close to southeast England as possible" to make it easier to transfer all the equipment back to France. If the British Cycling-supported bid is rubber-stamped, 30 million people in Britain will be "within one hour’s drive of the route, and the biggest crowds in Tour history will be almost guaranteed." A decision is expected from organizer Amaury Sport Organisation before Christmas. UCI board member and British Cycling President Brian Cookson has supported the Scottish-based bid and "was lobbying on its behalf in Paris" on Wednesday. Cookson said, "The Scottish-based bid is in the advanced planning stage, but it is a very positive, well thought of bid. The funding is more or less in place, and it is likely to happen" (TELEGRAPH, 10/24).
