The countdown is on until one of the greatest sporting events visits the Keighley district.

The Grand Depart of the Tour de France will speed though the town and its neighbours on July 6 2014 – exactly a year away – and is already inspiring residents to come up with ways of celebrating the race.

Stanbury resident Kathryn Thornton wants to hold an event to pit the food and beverages of France against classic Yorkshire fare.

The culinary festival will take place on the same weekend of the Tour’s arrival in Yorkshire, though the venue has yet to be confirmed.

Kathryn, who organises the annual Haworth Beer Festival, added: “I’ll be wanting to source produce specifically from this area to go up against French food and drink – there will definitely be a competitive element!

“The Tour is going to come right past the bottom of my village, and it’ll really put Stanbury on the map. I can’t wait!”

Members of the Bronte Country Tourism Partnership – which markets Keighley and the Worth Valley as a tourist destination – were due to meet in Keighley Civic Centre yesterday evening to discuss the anticipated logistical challenges of hosting the event.

Councillor Peter Corkindale, who has begun looking at some aspects of the race on behalf of Keighley Town Council, said it was well worth examining how Corsica is coping with the early stages of this year’s Tour.

“It’s a huge undertaking,” he said. “Even though it’s a year away, we need to get going with preparations now. We’ve been told 3.3 million visitors will come to Yorkshire, which will be a major boost to the economy.

“There are so many things to think about, which we’ve barely started doing. How will we accommodate people, how will we move them around and how can we ensure the emergency services can still get to where they need to go?

“Luckily, for Keighley, the Tour will come through on a Sunday, so it’ll be a bit quieter than normal, but there will be ten-hour linear road closures along the route and four-hour closures for roads that cross the route.”

Are you planning an event to coincide with the Tour de France visit next year? If so, e-mail miran.rahman@keighleynews.co.uk or call 01535 606611 and we’ll publicise it for you.