Yorkshire is ready to stage the Grand Depart in two years' time - if race organisers decide to head to England.
This year's Tour begins in Belgium on Saturday and officials in the north of England want to land that honour in 2014.
The Yorkshire bid, backed by world champion Mark Cavendish, whose mother lives in Harrogate, and his Team Sky colleague Ben Swift, who is from Rotherham, has the unanimous support of the authorities and is ready whenever Tour organisers Amaury Sports Organisation give the go-ahead.
Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said: "There are plenty of places who would love to do what Liege is doing this weekend.
"As soon as ASO would wish to come to us we would be ready, willing and able to host them.
"There's no timetable set in stone, but we're very enthusiastic and excited about those ongoing discussions.
"They know that we can move very quickly and we have the full support of every agency required to pull this off.
"We're good to go now."
Verity hosted Tour director Christian Prudhomme and other ASO leaders in Yorkshire four weeks ago and is now in Liege for further discussions to bring the opening stages of the race to the UK, with a proposal of two road stages in Yorkshire, followed by one in the south of England, within easy reach of France. The 2007 Grand Depart took place in London.
The 2013 Grand Depart, which is set to take place in Corsica, will open the 100th Tour and Yorkshire could be next, with Leeds a possible starting point for an event which could be worth £300million to the local economy if successful.
"We've said we will deliver them not only the grandest of Grand Departs, but also the greenest of Grand Departs," added Verity, who was also at the 2011 Grand Depart.
"If we're doing two stages, you're going to have around 400 kilometres in Yorkshire. You can cover a lot of ground."
The diversity of the landscape would appeal to the Tour's directors, while there is an enthusiasm among the population for sport - 1.2 million welcomed the Olympic torch to Yorkshire over six days. Around two million spectators would be expected to welcome the Tour to Yorkshire.
There is also a proposal to bring the Tour to Edinburgh and Scotland, possibly in 2017.
With Liege hosting the Grand Depart for the second time in eight years, Verity does not believe two British bids are in competition, but his priority is Yorkshire and not a joint bid which has been mooted.
"The Benelux (Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg) countries have hosted the Grand Depart four times in the last 10 years," Verity added.
"Why could you not have two territories within the UK hosting a Grand Depart over the next 10 years? That is up to ASO.
"Our first and primary aim is to secure a Grand Depart for Yorkshire, for England, and we think that is entirely possible."
