County Councillor Carl Les praised the great enthusiasm and sheer numbers of people that turned out to line the route and throng villages and market towns along the way, despite the poor weather over the three days from 29 April to 1 May.
The cycle race saw the county at its best as the peloton snaked through North Yorkshire’s spectacular dales and moors and along the coastline, past its historic abbeys, churches and houses. More than two million people are estimated to have turned out along the route despite the cold and rain to cheer the riders on their way.
Cllr Les said: “This was yet another fantastic occasion to showcase the great county of North Yorkshire, with the race being embraced eagerly by communities all along the route. We knew from last year’s Tour de Yorkshire that our residents can make the event extra special, and this weekend has shown again that towns and villages throughout the county know how to put on a proper Yorkshire welcome for this world-class sporting fixture.”
Just over two thirds of this year’s race took place over North Yorkshire roads.
“Our fantastic countryside creates the ideal setting for such a race with its spectacular views and challenging gradients for exciting racing, but it is the astonishing number of people that turn out to watch and their enthusiasm that really place this high in the world sporting calendar,” said Cllr Les.
“And the benefits for our county will be long-felt. After the huge success of last year’s race, this year’s Tour de Yorkshire has once again shown North Yorkshire in all its beauty and variety with all the gains for the tourism economy that this is bound to bring.”
He praised the staff of the district, borough and county councils who went the extra mile to make the weekend so memorable.
The County Council’s highways teams, building on the experience of the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014 and last year’s Tour de Yorkshire, worked hard to prepare the race route, ensuring that traffic was kept moving, disruption was kept to a minimum and that the race itself passed without incident. The road closures were all put in place successfully and cooperation from residents and visitors meant there were very few issues. Appeals to motorists not to obstruct the route with vehicles were successful, with very few issues with parked vehicles on the route.