It is one month until the Tour de France kicks off in Leeds, and a series of field art projects are taking shape across the Yorkshire landscape.
And one of the projects – which is bound to be a magnet for helicopter cameras – is The Leap, is a ballerina that is said to represent the freedom cycling gave women. Another installation shows a farmer stooping down and calling a terrier.
The project is one of 12 field art installations created by Fields of Vision, a cooperative of farmers, artists and cyclists across the county.
The Leap was designed by Louise Lockhart and is likely to be seen by millions around the world when the race passes near Oxenhope on Sunday 6 July for stage 2 of the tour.
Geoff Wood, creative director, Fields of Vision, said: “For our team working on Fields of Vision, the Tour de France is a fantastic chance to show just what talented artists we have in the region and to use their skills to make art on a truly epic scale. Delivering a project as ambitious as this has been a big undertaking. We are really looking forward to seeing the results of our work on the television and sharing our work with all the viewers. We hope, of course that this will encourage people to explore this glorious landscape.”
Meanwhile, Welcome to Yorkshire, the body that brought the grand départ to the county, has revealed some facts and events associated with the departure of the world’s biggest free sporting event:
- Taylors of Harrogate, who produce tea and coffee, will giveaway more than 5,000,000 tea bags to spectators lined along the UK stages
- Masham breweries are expecting to sell more than 100,000 pints of beers over the Tour de France weekend
- Knaresborough have filled their town with more than 20 yellow bikes and 14 trompe l'oeils window murals, two of which feature cycling legends Beryl Burton and Brian Robinson
- The first official painting of the grand départ by North Yorkshire artist Alister Colley has been unveiled. It depicts an imagined Yorkshire landscape featuring 28 landmarks and landscapes.
- The first Tour de France grand départ shops have opened to queues around the block in Leeds Trinity and Sheffield’s Meadowhall
- The official song of the grand départ is due for release this month. The Road is written by York’s Alistair Griffin and features Bradford’s Kimberley Walsh
- 500,000 spectator guides have been published – including versions in Dutch, French and German
Visit Le Tour Yorkshire for more information.
