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London and Kent's tourism sector is set to receive a huge financial boost when the Tour de France starts in the UK in July 2007.

Transport for London (TfL) predicts that the industry will receive a £115m cash injection as a result of the race which comes to the UK for the first time.

The figures were released to coincide with a press conference in Paris which detailed the exact route of the 2007 race, with UK tourism officials expecting around 2m people to visit the country during its three days in England.

'Hosting the Grand Depart of the Tour de France is a fantastic opportunity for London,' said Visit London's chief executive, James Bidwell.

'The route will pass by many top attractions and famous landmarks and gives us the chance to showcase this fabulous city to the world.

'We aim to maximise London's involvement in this high profile event and look forward to welcoming the many visitors to London for what will undoubtedly be a memorable experience,' he added.

The Grand Depart consists of three phases including the opening ceremony, the Prologue and Stage One.

The Prologue consists of a lap around central London, starting at Whitehall and ending at the Mall.

Stage One will see riders begin close to Big Ben before making their way through central London and heading south-east through Bermondsey and Greenwich towards Kent.

They will pass through Dartford, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford before crossing the finish line in Canterbury.

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