The Tour De Yorkshire is a cycle race that’s held in Yorkshire every year. It’s relatively new race, but it’s gained a lot of momentum in a short space of time. It was first launched in 2014 after Yorkshire hosted the Tour de France Grand Depart. The very first race attracted around 140 riders, one of which was legend and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins. For pro riders, it’s a chance to show potential, but for spectators, the race offers beautiful scenery and a fantastic atmosphere. If you love cycling and watching live sports races then make your way to Yorkshire to catch this year’s race. It’s a huge local event that showcases the Yorkshire countryside and local area. It’s a good event to attend if you are new to the county and want to get involved in local events. The race attracts 1.5 million spectators on the roadside, 22 nationalities take part and 18 top teams from around the world. If you are able to visit Yorkshire in April, then you might want to check out this exciting race.

2016 Tour de Yorkshire dates

The race is split into three stages and covers a grand total of 515.5 kilometres (320 miles). It showcases the beautiful landscape and scenery throughout Yorkshire. The men’s race will start on Friday the 29th of April in Beverley, East Yorkshire and will finish on Sunday the 1st of May in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. The women’s race will be held on Saturday the 30th April. Around 1 million people watched the race last year and it reportedly brought £50 million into Yorkshire’s economy. If you aren’t a professional you can still take part, there’s a mass participation ‘sportive’ event for cyclists which covers the same roads.

Tour de Yorkshire routes

This year’s race will be hosted in six different towns. The route includes two sprint points in Bubwith and Giggleswick and the total ascent is 1,832 metres. Stage one starts on the Friday and goes from Beverley to Settle. This is rumoured to be the sprinters stage, with some climbs towards the end.

Stage 1: Friday 29 April 2016: Beverley To Settle (185km)

• Total stage length: 185km
• 2 x sprint points (Bubwith, Giggleswick)
• 1 x King of the Mountain (Greenhow Hill)
• Total ascent: 1,832m

  View the interactive map online here <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S-GVBaLWJ_o" width="700" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Stage two continues on the Saturday and goes from Otley to Doncaster.This stage includes roads that have not previously been included in previous races, and is expected to also be a sprint type stage.

Stage 2: Saturday 30 April 2016: Otley To Doncaster (136km)

• Total stage length: 136km
• Same route for men and women
• 2 x sprint points (Scholes, Warmsworth)
• 3 x King/ Queen of the Mountain (Harewood Bank, East Rigton, Conisbrough Castle)
• Total ascent: 1,110m

View the interactive map online here <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zjDVkbrfpDI" width="700" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> The final stage 3 will be held on the Sunday and it begins in Middlesbrough and finishes in Scarborough. It’s expected to be the climbing stage and could have a big impact on the overall results.

Stage 3: Sunday 1 May 2016: Middlesbrough To Scarborough (19km)

• Total stage length: 198km
• 2 x sprint points (Thirsk and Whitby Abbey)
• 6 x King of the Mountain (Sutton Bank, Blakey Ridge, Grosmont, Robin Hood’s Bay, Harwood Dale and Oliver’s Mount)
• Total ascent: 2,593m

View the interactive map online here <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DrLlvS2vkSs" width="700" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> Sir Gary Verity explained ‘We’ve selected routes which showcase Yorkshire’s stunning scenery and will also deliver an excellent sporting event.’ Even if you can’t get to Yorkshire for this fantastic cycling event, try and watch it on TV and admire some of the county’s spectacular scenery whilst enjoying a nail biting race. Image courtesy letour.yorkshire.com