Last year we kept you up to date with all the cycling news surrounding the Tour de France – one of the greatest events in the cycling calendar.
Well, we believe that the Tour de France now has some competition after Britain’s much anticipated Tour de Yorkshire.
All eyes were focused on Yorkshire over the bank holiday weekend, as many cyclists took to its roads to take part in the ‘Tour de Yorkshire’, a race which has been born from the success of last year’s Tour de France. The race saw 141 riders including Britain’s Sir Bradley Wiggins complete a trialling 500km + (over 310 miles) ride over three days.
Yorkshire has certainly been left with a lasting cycling legacy!
Organisers of the race focused the route around the East side of the county and the North Sea coastline, as these were areas that were previously missed out of the Tour de France route. The route showcased Yorkshire’s fabulous scenery, countryside and the hospitality of its people.
It was hoped that the race, like the Tour de France, would help put Yorkshire firmly on the map especially in the cycling world. And Yorkshire certainly achieved this! Many tourists, holiday makers, cycling fans and even the Prime Minister David Cameron lined the streets of Yorkshire to enjoy all the county has to offer. The race organisers have estimated that more than 1.2 million people turned out over the three days.
The Race
The race commenced with a ceremonial start on Friday afternoon just outside of Bridlington Spa, before it officially began at Sewerby. The first stage was a tough 174km finishing in Scarborough. The second stage began on Saturday with another 174km from Selby to York. The race finally concluded on Sunday with a 167km ride from Wakefield to Leeds. This final stretch saw the highest number of supporters come out to cheer the cyclists on through the final stage.
The Results
In first place was Norwegian Lars-Petter Nordhaug, with Spain’s Samuel Sanchez in second and France’s Thomas Voeckler coming in third.
The Women’s Race
The first ever Tour de Yorkshire also featured a women’s race which commenced on Saturday 2nd May. The race consisted of four laps of a 20km circuit, covering roads which were then used for the men’s race later that afternoon.
The race was one by Louise Mahé who completed the 80km in 2 hours and 36 seconds. Eileen Roe came a close second, with Katie Curtis taking third place.