A schoolboy who was given a bike by a Huddersfield community group is to rub shoulders with the world’s superstars.

Eddie Townend, who has enhanced his life through cycling after getting involved with the Streetbikes project, will get to see his heroes when he attends the biggest ever Tour de France Team Presentation Opening Ceremony in history.

Eddie, from Scapegoat Hill, Huddersfield, has been presented with two tickets to the event from Welcome to Yorkshire, the hosts of the county’s Grand Départ, to celebrate his 14th birthday.

The talented youngster started cycling in sessions run by Streetbikes, a non-profit-making community organisation run in partnership with Kirklees Council.

The project refurbishes unwanted and broken bicycles and runs a series of schemes in many areas of Kirklees.

Eddie has gone on to take part in, and win, cyclo-cross races and recently won the British Schools Cycling Association Yorkshire Circuit Championships, held in Bradford. He has also achieved a qualification in bike mechanics through Streetbikes.

Eddie said: “This is a fab surprise – I love racing, and getting the chance to see the professionals so close is fantastic. One day I hope to be joining them in the actual race.”

He will see the biggest stars from the world of cycling, including Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Mark Cavendish, and cycling legends from all 22 teams at a spectacular live event just days before the Tour’s Yorkshire Grand Départ.

The event is on Leeds on July 3 and the Tour itself starts on July 5.

On July 6 the race comes through Calderdale and Huddersfield.

Tickets for the exciting pre-Tour event, being staged at Leeds Arena, are available here.

Click here to take you back to more Huddersfield news .

Want to read, watch and hear more? You can download the FREE Examiner Apple App  here , the FREE Examiner Android App  here  or you can view the paper as an e-edition on your Apple, Android or Kindle device by clicking  here

To follow us on Twitter click here