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he first time I did Chimney Bank it was downhill. I thought this was the sensible way to tackle Britain's steepest public road on a bicycle. Not so. At the halfway point, the gradient hits 33% – and all the items in the back pocket of my cycling jersey came tumbling out over my head. North Yorkshire's finest had wreaked havoc as usual. My second go at Chimney Bank was to retrieve all the items that had fallen out over my head on the first descent, since I'd been unable to stop until I reached the bottom. I was rather pleased to have managed this without breaking my bicycle chain, something that this monster of inclines regularly does to unsuspecting two-wheelers. So when it was announced that the Tour de France was coming to Yorkshire, I held my breath. Would they dare? I had visions of Froome and co battling it out at snail's pace as they cursed their way over the county's finest stinkers: the Stang, Thrussendale, the Coal Road. Because there is a vital difference between French and British roads. Where a French country road, encountering a large immovable obstacle, sensibly begins to weave a long, gentle path upwards, the British road turns aggressively towards the adversary and charges. That's why the continentals have gradients rarely in excess of 10%, and we have Chimney Bank. But my hope for a feast of slow torture was not to be. The Tour simply bottled it and will cruise past some of the best cycle routes in the county. If you are going to be there this summer with a bike, however, let's look at all the joys available: routes that take real cyclists deep into beautiful, magical countryside routes that the pros didn't dare attempt. I've put them into obvious geographical groups which can be linked into routes using an OS map or websites such as Strava and MapMyRide. The Dales View over Buttertubs pass in The Yorkshire Dales View over Buttertubs pass in The Yorkshire Dales. Photograph: Alamy The first and most obvious act of cowardice in Tour de France 2014 stage one will happen in Wharfedale, when the peloton sweeps over the bridge at Kettlewell. At this point any self-respecting cyclist turns right up Cam Gill Road for the brutal masterpiece known to cyclists as Park Rash (bit.ly/1nmoTjU), a climb of 303m in little more than 2km. Outsiders could be tempted to think that here is a neat short-cut to catching the Tour in two places – Kettlewell then Middleham. But take care: this is a monster. You would be well-advised to stop in Kettlewell for a final espresso with lots of sugar before continuing. A short, nasty hill gives a mere taste of pleasures to come, then you see the valley end in a vertical cliff, up which some idiot has built a tarmac road at gradients that officially hit 25% but seem steeper. From the top you have a 19km run down to the Tour route at Middleham, with its pubs and cafes aplenty, or pretty East Witton. Read more...www.theguardian.co