Cyclists to be vigilant as London welcomes the Tour de France

As London prepares to host the opening ceremony of the Tour de France on July 6th, Halifax Home Insurance is warning cycling fanatics to be one step ahead of bike thieves looking for an easy ride.

Increasing numbers of people in London now prefer to commute to work by bike, meaning London currently ranks the UK's number one hotspot for bicycle theft. And as more cycling fans are attracted to the capital's Tour de France festivities, Halifax Home Insurance is advising cyclists to be vigilant and take extra precautions to avoid becoming a victim.

This is the first time since 1994 that the Tour de France has come to Britain. Festivities begin on July 6th with a spectacular opening ceremony, 'Le Grand Depart' in Trafalgar Square, followed on Saturday July 7th by a race around many of London's famous landmarks including the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, the Serpentine and Whitehall. On Sunday July 8th, participants will set off on the first leg of the race from London to Canterbury through the stunning scenery of the Kent countryside.

Cyclists are advised to take the following steps to avoid becoming a victim of bike theft:

Make use of bicycle parking racks where possible and always lock your bike, regardless of how long you will be away from it

Park your bike in a well lit busy area where possible

Keep bikes locked in outbuildings or in the house when not in use

Always keep doors to buildings where bikes are stored locked – an opportunist thief will always take their chances

Use a hardened steel U-type lock as cable locks can be easily cut

Consider using anti-pry devices. These cover the space between the bike and the object it is secured to, preventing thieves from inserting tools to pry or cut the bike free

Register your bike at a bike ownership agency

Use an ultraviolet pen to mark your postcode on the frame

Write down the name, model and serial number of the bike and store it somewhere safe in case you need to pass the details on to the police

Take photographs of the bike and keep a note of extras such as mudguards, high performance tyres or other additional equipment you have purchased.

Tour de France Trivia

The first Tour de France took place in 1903 as a stunt to promote sports newspaper, L'auto

The first British riders to compete in the race were Charley Holland and Bill Burl in 1937, but Burl had to quit the race after crashing into a car, while Holland was penalised for holding onto one!

In 1955 Tony Hoar and Brian Robinson became the first British riders to complete the race

David Millar was the last British rider to wear the coveted yellow jersey during the time trial at the start of the race in 2000

The race now attracts around 2 billion television viewers and around 15 million roadside spectators.

Senior Manager of Underwriting, Vicky Emmott comments: "With the Tour de France coming to Britain this year, many people will feel encouraged to get on their bikes. Cycling has many benefits both for people's health and for the environment, but it's important that people take adequate measures to protect their cycles and also make sure they are insured both in the home and when out in public."