Tour de England

LONDON (Reuters) - London will host the first stage of the 2007 Tour de France, mayor Ken Livingstone announced on Tuesday.

"I am proud to announce that London has successfully bid to host the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in July 2007,"

Livingstone said in a statement. The route will be announced at a later date and is expected to include landmarks like Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Houses of Parliament.