Gary Verity is very much the Man of the Moment, the man responsible for bringing the spectacle of the world’s largest annual sporting event to the highways and byways of West Yorkshire and the Dales.

The Welcome to Yorkshire chief managed the coup through a combination of first-class planning, determination, charm and not a little guile – including flying the Tour organisers by borrowed helicopter from London via the heavily-industrialised West Midlands before homing in across the magnificent Yorkshire countryside to Gary’s Coverdale farm, where he had mowed a giant ‘Y’ on his lawn.

The Grand Depart extravaganza, which costs about £20 million to stage, is expected to deliver economic benefits of five times that, according to accountants PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

His ambition to put Yorkshire at the forefront of events was when, as chairman of the Olympics for Yorkshire, he rejected the Games organising committee’s decision to let Yorkshire have the Olympic torch relay for three days, instead securing it for six-and-a-half days.

He said: “Welcome to Yorkshire inherited the events programme from Yorkshire Forward and we’ve held key events such as the start and finish of the Clipper round the world yacht race and the mountain bike world championship at Dalby Forest.

“It was clear that Yorkshire needed a game-changer to put us on the map and to avoid being squeezed between a resurgent Scotland and a rampant economy in London and the South, following the success of the Olympics.”

Back in Yorkshire, Gary found an air of defeatism against the likes of Manchester which had successfully staged the Commonwealth Games after audaciously but unsuccessfully bidding for the Olympics.

“That was transformational for Manchester and changed attitudes. Mancunians and the council felt that if they just said yes and then ask what the question is, they wouldn’t find a thousand and one reasons not to do it.

“That was my thought. What could we do in Yorkshire that would be globally massive?

“The Olympics and the World Cup are clearly not on the agenda – and the next biggest world event is the Tour de France. Yorkshire has huge cycling heritage through the likes of Beryl Burton, Brian Robertson and Barry Hoban along with the current crop of cyclists.

“We also have the scenery and hills needed to stage the Tour de France,” insisted Gary.

When he approached Tour de France owners the Amuary Sport Organisation, a family business which runs many leading events, including the French golf open, people thought he was mad.

After months of negotiation – including the summit at his farm, followed by a dinner at Harewood House hosted by the Earl and Countess of Harewood, the ice was finally broken when the French revealed that the Yorkshire terrier is their favourite small dog breed.

Gary said: “When Christian Prudhomme, Tour de France director came, we knew we’d only get one chance to impress him. We put a lot of thought into the visit – to overcome the organisers’ reported perception that Yorkshire wasn’t sexy enough as a Grand Depart venue.”

He believes the clincher was when cyclist Mark Cavendish, whose mother hails from Harrogate, broadcast a personal message to Christian Prudhomme backing Yorkshire’s bid on the giant TV screen in Millennium Square in Leeds, which Welcome to Yorkshire had arranged.

“Christian Prudhomme’s jaw hit the ground at that point and he later told me that was when he knew we could deliver the Grand Depart,” said Gary.