County set to host Tour of Britain stages

Elite cycling looks set to return to North Yorkshire after local authority bosses agreed to host a stage of the Tour of Britain race both this year and in 2027.

York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority has approved a plan to partner with British Cycling to bring the race to the county.

The proposal would see £350,000 of mayoral investment funding used to secure the event, with additional costs of up to £400,000 shared on a 50/50 basis with North Yorkshire Council to cover road closures and event management.

Mayor of York and North Yorkshire David Skaith said he welcomed the proposal as "many people have positive memories of the Tour de France coming through in 2014".

"The impact on the visitor economy over the period should be incredible," he said.

"We need to make sure we have that real legacy after as well, so it's not just a day event, it's how we can make the most of it going forward."

The Tour of Britain attracts elite international teams and is broadcast to more than 100 countries.

Organisers say each stage can generate between £2m and £12m for the local economy.

Under the proposals, North Yorkshire would host a full stage of the men's race in 2026, with a further stage planned for 2027.

While the final route is yet to be decided, organisers have indicated a preference for both the start and finish to take place within wider North Yorkshire rather than York, due to the logistical challenges of staging the event in a city environment.

The route is also expected to include a hill stage, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Leaders say hosting the event would support wider ambitions to promote active travel, boost tourism and attract inward investment to the region.

North Yorkshire Council leader Carl Les said he was "happy to support" the idea in principle.

"North Yorkshire's been hosting cycle races since the Grand Départ. People are still talking about the way the public took to it," he said.

"Inevitably we do need to have discussions about the route because it's got to be right for the cyclists but it's also got to be right for the community that's hosting it."

The county hosted the 2014 Tour de France Grand Départ, with the Tour de Yorkshire held from 2015 to 2019.

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