A media hub being built to house over 2,000 journalists for the start of the Tour de France Grand in Leeds this weekend is taking shape.

Reporters from all over the world will be situated at state-of-the-art facilities being built at the city’s Wellington Place development for the ‘Grand Depart’ on Saturday.

The 5,400sqm media centre provides not only interview, press conference and writing facilities, but will also cater for over 800 branded race vehicles.

As it nears completion, aspiring writers from The Co-operative Academy, in Burmantofts, are to be given the chance to tour the centre and meet the media as part of a writing competition organised by the site’s owners, property company MEPC.

The Tour de France media centre is being built off Whitehall Road, Leeds. Picture Yorkshire Evening Post.

Having been invited to write an article on ‘what the Tour de France means to Leeds’, the best three entrants will experience being a journalist for the day and quiz a regional writer about their work.

The three winning entrants’ articles and photographs will be posted on the Wellington Place website.

Dominique Simcox, marketing manager at MEPC, said: “One of the key reasons this region was selected to host the first two stages of the race was because of the legacy opportunities it provides.

“Therefore, we’re proud to be helping these youngsters get creative and give them this fantastic chance to learn more about the exciting opportunities that being a journalist and working in the media provide.”