Michael Rasmussen and Michael Boogerd of the Rabobank 2007 Tour De France team at the Grand Depart in London

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Thousands of cycling fans gathered in Trafalgar Square and the surrounding area for the opening ceremony of the 2007 Tour de France on Friday 6th July 2007. The event saw all the teams and 189 riders presented to the crowd, estimated to have been around 25,000, ahead of the Grand Depart. The riders also paraded from Trafalgar Square down Whitehall and back. London hosted Saturday 7th July's prologue before the first stage on the Sunday which travelled through the capital and Kent. This was the first time the Tour has started in England, but the third time it has passed through the country in its 104-year history. Michael Rasmussen was sacked from the Rabobank team half way through the 2007 race, despite being in the lead at the time. He had missed out of competition drug tests by lying about his whereabouts in June 07 saying he was in Mexico when in fact he was in Italy

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Size: 5110px × 3407px
Location: London
Photo credit: © Bruce McGowan / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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