With the first Grand Tour of the season over and Nairo Quintana crowned Giro d’Italia champion, all eyes turn to the Tour de France – and Yorkshire, in particular.
In exactly one month the world’s best cyclists will descend on Yorkshire on the weekend of July 5 and 6 for the opening two stages of the 2014 edition of the race – and the county’s beautiful landscape will be broadcast across the world to millions of television viewers.
Stage one follows an undulating 190.5km route through the Yorkshire Dales from Leeds to Harrogate, while stage two takes in a decidedly lumpy 201km parcours, starting in York and finishing in Sheffield. Want to see what all the fuss is about?
Many riders will round up a group of club mates or riding buddies, head to Yorkshire this summer, and take on a stage – or, if you’ve got the legs – both stages – of their own accord, but many will be attracted by the prospect of an organised sportive which, while it may not take in the complete route, will see riders tackle some of the roads that feature on the Tour, as well as the best of what else ‘God’s Own Country’ has to offer. After all, the Tour only offers a snapshot of the riding available in Yorkshire.
With that in mind, here are five Yorkshire events to consider for your summer sportive schedule or suggest your own ride in the forum.
