Rotterdam to host 2010 Tour start

The 2007 Grand Depart was watched by a reported 500,000 fans in London

Organisers of the Tour de France have announced that the 2010 race will begin from the Dutch city of Rotterdam.

Rotterdam lodged a bid to host the start of the 2010 event, along with neighbour Utrecht, following London's successful Grand Depart in 2007.

A Tour statement said the choice would promote inner-city cycling, adding that Rotterdam "adheres perfectly to the route we imagine for the 2010 Tour".

The 97th Tour begins on 3 July 2010, with more details to come in December.

The Tour de France last started from the Netherlands in 1996, when it began in 's-Hertogenbosch.