The fourth Tour de Yorkshire cycle race is getting ready to roll and people in North Yorkshire are being urged to plan ahead to make sure they have a great time watching it
The action starts in early May and work is well under way make sure the race offers maximum entertainment with the minimum of disruption.
County Councillor Carl Les, Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “North Yorkshire’s roads will again play a significant part in the Tour de Yorkshire. The Tour has also been extended to four days and, as with previous events, we are working with partners, including event organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sports Organisation, district councils and emergency services, to host the race while maintaining vital access for local residents, visitors and businesses.
“On 5 May and 6 May the Tour will be mainly in North Yorkshire, with another finish in Scarborough and fantastic first visits to Filey and Richmondshire, including a race start in Richmond, in addition to passing through large parts of Hambleton.
“There will be many attractions to stop off and see including historic Richmond castle and the view from Sutton Bank, plus the seafront finish in Scarborough. We want to help spectators to enjoy it safely and make it easy to get to and from where they want to watch the race.”
The four stages of the race are being held from Thursday 3 May until Sunday 6 May:
Stage 1 on Thursday 3 May starts in Beverley and ends in Doncaster, covering 178km, with none of the route in North Yorkshire. The route will take in Beverley, Walkington, Pocklington, Howden and Doncaster.
Stage 2 on Friday 4 May starts in Barnsley and ends in Ilkley, covering 115km, with 16km (13 per cent) in North Yorkshire. The route will take in Barnsley, Penistone, Pontefract, Castleford, Otley and Ilkley.
Stage 3 on Saturday 5 May starts in Richmond and ends in Scarborough, covering 190km, all in North Yorkshire. The route takes in Richmond, Catterick Garrison, Leyburn, Northallerton, Thirsk, Sutton Bank, Pickering, Filey and Scarborough.
Stage 4 on Sunday 6 May starts in Halifax and ends in Leeds, covering 182km, with 130km (71 per cent) in North Yorkshire. The route takes in Halifax, Mytholmroyd, Hebdon Bridge, Haworth, South Craven, Skipton, Kettlewell, Middleham, Masham, Pateley Bridge, Otley and Leeds.
The Chief Executive of North Yorkshire County Council, Richard Flinton, said: “We want people to enjoy the Tour which passes near many towns and villages, so the advice is to plan ahead and choose where you want to watch. The council is working on the details of the road closures affecting the county and is working with transport partners, schools, businesses and district councils.
“As before, we will ensure the event takes place with the least disruption. There will be some road closures and parking restrictions, but these will be kept to a minimum. Most of the route will see rolling road closures, which will generally last no more than an hour. Start and finish areas, along with some climbs, are likely to see longer road closures to ensure the safety of spectators and racers.’’
Details of the race route are on the County Council’s website www.northyorks.gov.uk/tour-de-yorkshire
Details of road closures will be made available over the next few weeks. Further information on other services affected by the tour will also be added to the council website as they become available, including advice on transport and any schools affected. Full details of the routes and timings of all four stages can be found at http://letour.yorkshire.com/