Tour de France riders power off

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Fans, both young and old and from Britain and abroad, began lining the 203 kilometre route of Stage One from London to Canterbury, Kent from early on Sunday morning.

A tight security operation swung into action as the 189 riders set off in a blaze of colour, beginning the hard work as they cross the Greenwich Meridian Line in south-east London at 11am in their race for glory.

The riders began on The Mall, then rode along the Thames to The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. They swung past the London Eye and looped back to take in St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London before heading to Tower Bridge where they paused for an official ceremony attended by London Mayor Ken Livingstone and Tour de France officials.

The race began for real when they crossed the Meridian Line, from where all time zones are measured. They passed through Woolwich, Abbey Wood and Erith before leaving London.

The riders are now carving their way through some of Britain's most picturesque and historic towns.

They will speed through Gravesend and onto Medway, dominated by Rochester Castle and Cathedral. They also pass Maidstone, Royal Tunbridge Wells and finish in Canterbury.

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur said: "It is starting in London and going on to roads in Essex and Kent. We are not going to be able to put in the same sterile (traffic free) zones as we put for the Prologue so we hope that people will be good natured and not disrupt the race.

"Either way we have been planning this since 2003. We have appropriate plans in place."

In total 4,500 Metropolitan Police officers are on duty over the Tour weekend. Aided by 1,800 Kent police and officers from the City Of London Police, the British Transport Police, and 45 French officers.