THE voice of ITV cycling visited Middlesbrough this week to try out the thrilling final stage of the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire for himself.
ITV4 commentator and presenter Ned Boulting met Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd in Centre Square before saddling up and hitting the road.
He followed the full route the riders will take on Sunday (May 1), when the professional peloton tackles the 198km conclusion to the Tour over the testing hills of the North York Moors to Scarborough.
Organisers are predicting the overall winner will be decided on the challenging stage, in front of a global television audience and thousands lining the route to cheer the riders on.
Setting off from Centre Square on Wednesday morning, Ned said: “Stage 3 is the final and most challenging for the riders of the Tour de Yorkshire.
“It features six climbs and tests endurance over 123 windy, rolling miles – in fact it doesn’t come much tougher.
“The great thing about the stage is that it’s visiting parts of the region that just missed out last year.”
During a long day in the saddle, Ned tackled the ‘notorious’ Sutton Bank and five other King of the Mountains climbs, and spoke of the ‘beautiful and incredibly varied’ landscape of the North York Moors during a ‘horribly gruelling ride’.
Along the way he stopped off to talk to some of those taking part in this year’s Tour de Yorkshire including 18-year-old Frazer Clacherty of Team GB who will be riding through his home town of Danby on Sunday.
After arriving in Scarborough, Ned summed up his experience: “I honestly don’t think I’ve enjoyed a really long ride ever as much as I did that.
“I’ve never ridden over the North York Moors before. That was my high point – literally– because it was the highest point.
“Battling into a headwind heading north over that barren landscape – extraordinary.
“I don’t know how the pros are going to race it – it beggars belief really.”
Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd said: “It’s a huge honour for Middlesbrough to be playing host to the start of the final stage of the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire, and there’s a real sense of mounting excitement, both here in Middlesbrough and out along the route.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming thousands of spectators and a huge television audience on Sunday, and it was a pleasure to meet Ned as he took on the same challenge the riders will face on the big day.”
For full details of the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire, visit letour.yorkshire.com/ and for regular updates on Middlesbrough’s build-up to the big day, visit www.middlesbrough.gov.uk and lovemiddlesbrough.com/enjoytheride
The highlights of Stage 3 from Middlesbrough to Scarborough will be shown on ITV4 on Sunday, May 1 from 7pm.