The sight of lycra-clad cyclists wheel to wheel on the county’s roads is an all too familiar one these days. But 30 years ago this week when the Tour de France first raced into Kent, it was a unique spectacle which brought the sport well and truly to the public’s attention. An estimated three million spectators turned out to witness the historic 127-mile stage which started in Dover and ended in Brighton, taking in Canterbury, Ashford and Tunbridge Wells. It was the 81st time the race had been run in its long and illustrious history and British rider Chris Boardman – now a well-known televisio…
