The Tour de Yorkshire is the most famous road cycling race in the UK, bringing some of the biggest names in the sport to our county for an epic race, uphill and down dale. What began in 2015 as a legacy race from the Tour de France has quickly become one of the most celebrated sporting events in the country. Last year more than 2 million fans lined the route – enough people to fill more than 22 Wembley Stadiums!
And in 2019 the Tour will be bigger and better than ever, as it’s now been upgraded to HC status by cycling’s world governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – the highest category possible for a multi-day race outside of the UCI World Tour. This year the TDY will run from Thursday May 2nd to Sunday May 5th.
The womans race will take place between 3rd-4th May meaning that for the first time ever, it will be held on a Friday and Saturday to allow more people to celebrate the race. The 2019 womens race will also be the longest yet at 264km and also the hardest with over of 3,200m of cumulative climbing.
Here you’ll find everything you need to know about watching and supporting the race, as it passes through the streets of North Leeds.
The Route & Timings for viewing in North Leeds
Stage 1 of the men’s race starts in Doncaster on Thursday 2nd May and finishes in Selby. Friday 3rd May stage 2 sets out from Barnsley and skirts around the East of Leeds including Garforth, Barwick in Elmet, Scholes, Shadwell, Alwoodley, Bramhope and Pool before heading out into North Yorkshire and finishing in Bedale. Stage 3, on Saturday 4th, runs from Bridlington to Scarborough.
The final stage on the 5th May is the longest of them all. Starting in Halifax it takes a loop up through the Dales before entering Leeds to the North of the city at Cookridge. It then passes down Green Lane before coming back on to Old Otley Road, through West Park and onto Kirkstall Road at the Abbey at around 4.30pm. The route then crosses Kirkstall Bridge and travels out along Armley Ridge Road and Cockshott Lane to the by-pass. Before cutting through the centre of Armley, across to Burley Road and back into Leeds City Centre to finish with a spectacular crowd at the Town Hall at 5pm. You can see the race maps and timing for each stage in more detail on the Tour de Yorkshire website here.
If you’re going along to spectate why not make a day of it as a family. Watch the fun Publicity Caravan and then the race itself from the roadside, anywhere along the route. Then pop for something to eat at one of our Mumbler recommended cafes or restaurants. Or if your house, garden, school or community centre is on the route itself, why not join it by putting up some Tour de Yorkshire decorations or creating some land art that can be seen from the TV helicopters!
What else is on?
One thing is certain about the Tour De Yorkshire…Yorkshire will put on a great celebration! There was a huge turn out for the race last year, with local communities getting into the spirit of the day and putting on great events and fun activities.
As details emerge closer to the time, we will list all the family-friendly activities that will be happening in North Leeds. Follow us on Facebook and check back on this page nearer the time for all the latest updates.
If you’re visiting the area why not make the most of your time here and visit some of the beautiful places we have here in North Leeds. For ideas on places to go including stately homes, parks, museums to name a few, have a look at our Days Out page.
If you want to list your business or promote an event you are running to celebrate the Tour de Yorkshire please contact me here
