The world’s most famous cycle race, the Tour de France, has hit Cambridge for the first time in its history. The third and final English stage of the race began today in Cambridge, before heading through Essex and into London. The stage is due to finish in front of Buckingham Palace later this afternoon.

Huge crowds met the cyclists as they rode through Cambridge city centre, with the route taking in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Parker’s Piece, King’s Parade and the central colleges. The racing did not begin until the stage reached Trumpington, but thousands of fans and onlookers watched as the current holder of the prestigious yellow jersey, Vincenzo Nibali, led the tour through Cambridge.

Daisy Hessenberger, a PhD student, watched the Tour pass by. "The atmosphere was addictive," she said. However, she added that the lack of racing made the ride-by "somewhat underwhelming."

The 200-man peloton left Parker’s Piece at around 12:15 p.m., where they were seen off by a large crowd, with people reporting that they had waited for over an hour to see the Tour pass through the city. Cambridge MP Julian Huppert spoke of the level of excitement in the city, adding:  “I think we’ve done a really great job in Cambridge. I think we will see huge excitement here."

The Tour’s arrival in Cambridge has prompted renovation works over the past year: 120 sheets of gold leaf have been applied to the railings outside the Fitzwilliam Museum. The Tour’s route was also marked out by chalk drawings made by the crowds on the roads – the traditional greeting for the Tour. One drawing mourned the absence of the British hopeful Mark Cavendish, who dislocated his shoulder in a crash just metres from the finish line of the Tour's first stage.