North Yorkshire to host one of the legs of the Tour of Britain in September
The world-famous cycle race is coming back to the county for the first time since 2009
One of the biggest events in British cycling is coming to North Yorkshire this September.
For the first time since 2009 the Tour of Britain will descend on our countryside, showcasing some of the world's most talented cyclists.
13 years ago York welcomed the opening day’s finish, and before that in 2008 when Dalby Forest hosted a stage finish.
North Yorkshire’s communities are well known for their wholehearted embrace of major cycling events, from the Tour de France Grand Départ to the Tour de Yorkshire and UCI Road World Championships, so large crowds are anticipated for this stage, which will begin in Redcar and Cleveland and promises to be a must-watch.
Jonathan Durling, partnership director of the Tour of Britain, said:
"I really hope the local people of North Yorkshire are as excited about the race as we are that the race is coming. Racing in September on the roads of North Yorkshire is going to be unbelievable and I just think the crowds are going to be fantastic and the atmosphere will be incredible. Yorkshire haven't had any racing for quite a few years because the Tour de Yorkshire was cancelled in due to covid.
"We on average get around 1.5 million people across the eight days of a race. It's probably on average around 200,000 a day but I actually would expect that to be bigger in Yorkshire because of the passion and the interest that there is in North Yorkshire."
Despite previous successful cycling events, they do not fair well amongst some residents in Harrogate.
It's as the Stray was reduced to mud in 2019 following the UCI cycling event.
Mr Durling, added:
"We weren't involved in that event but they were incredibly unfortunate with the weather as it rained non-stop for about a week. It did affect the Stray but whenever we've had a situation where there could have been some damage to a field or area we would insist on having some kind of track put down to ensure we leave the way we found it. It was an incredibly rare occurrence for something like that happen like it did on the Stray."
County Council leader Cllr Carl Les said:
“We are delighted to once again welcome major competitive cycling to North Yorkshire. The route the race will take within the county is currently being finalised to provide a thrilling ride while maximising opportunities for people to enjoy the race.
“As soon as the details are announced, I’m sure our communities will want to begin planning how they will welcome and celebrate the event and cycling fans across the county and beyond will be able to plan how they will watch.
“We will work closely with our partners and, with experience gathered through the management of major races over the best part of a decade, will play our part in ensuring the event runs smoothly to guarantee maximum enjoyment and minimum disruption to everyday life.”
The host regions for this year’s Tour of Britain, which will take place from 4 to 11 September, combine a return to areas familiar to the Tour with others that break new ground.
The Tour will visit the following regions:
Stage one Sunday 4 September Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Stage two Monday 5 September South of Scotland
Stage three Tuesday 6 September North East of England and Sunderland
Stage four Wednesday 7 September Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire
Stage five Thursday 8 September Nottinghamshire
Stage six Friday 9 September Gloucestershire
Stage seven Saturday 10 September Dorset
Stage eight Sunday 11 September Isle of Wight
Mick Bennett, Tour of Britain race director, said:
“Announcing the locations of the Tour of Britain stages is always a day I look forward to greatly, as I know how much people want to watch the race from their own doorsteps!
“We are thrilled to be returning to North Yorkshire with the Tour of Britain and know what a warm welcome the race will receive. Together with our partners at North Yorkshire County Council, we are working to create a fantastic route and engage all of the communities along it, resulting in what will no doubt be a memorable stage of the Tour.”
ITV4 will continue to broadcast live flag-to-flag coverage of every stage, as well as a nightly highlights show. The race will also be shown in more than 150 countries, in part thanks to the event’s partnerships with Eurosport and the Global Cycling Network.
Last year’s star-studded race was won by Belgian rider Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), with reigning world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe finishing third overall.
A roadside crowd of more than one million spectators resulted in the Tour of Britain generating ÂŁ29.96m of net economic benefit for the UK economy, according to research by Frontline. The race is a finalist in the Sporting Event of the Year category at the Event Production Awards, which takes place in London next Thursday (17 February).
While spectators can watch all the action by the roadside for free, race day hospitality packages offer guaranteed prime views of stage starts and finishes, complete with fine dining experiences. Visit sportsbreaks.com/Cycling for more information.