Well the Tour always has little sections outside France and quite often at the beginning, but they usually seem to be right next to France. I think there was a stage in Kent a couple of years ago. Cycling has got quite big in England since the success at the Beijing Olympics and now Team Sky have had successive Tour de France winners. I was quite surprised they went as far afield as Yorkshire. Maybe the tourist board have paid them lots of money - this is the official story:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20725355.

I hadn't realised until this last week that there is more than one stage here - there are 2 in Yorkshire and one in the south, also stage 5 in Belgium and one into the Spanish Pyrenees.

It's not every day you get to consider the challenge of ascending the Côte de Blubberhouses! Looks like it's going up the Woodhead Pass just for fun.

http://www.letour.com/le-tour/2014/us/stage-2.html