After two hugely successful events, the Tour De Yorkshire returns for a third successive year. Take a look at the major names taking part, the teams involved, and what they can expect on the stages from Bridlington to Sheffield.
Hopefully lined by fans here’s a guide to the 3 stages…
Stage 1: Friday 28th April 2017: Bridlington To Scarborough
Total stage length: 173km
3 King of the Mountain Climbs: Garrowby Hill, Goathland & Robin Hood's Bay
2 Sprints: Pocklington & Whitby Abbey
Total ascent: 1,940m
Stage One gets underway outside Bridlington Spa and heads into Pocklington for the first intermediate sprint. The classified climbs up the Côte de Garrowby Hill and Côte de Goathland will get the legs pumping before the race hits the coastline again at Whitby, and the riders will get a great view of the Abbey as they contest the second sprint of the day. The route continues on to Robin Hood’s Bay for the third and final climb and then it’s full steam into Scarborough for the now-legendary finish along North Bay.
Stage 2: Saturday 29th April 2017: Tadcaster To Harrogate
Total stage length: 122.5km
1 King/Queen of the Mountain Climbs: Lofthouse
2 Sprints: Knaresborough & Ripon
Total ascent: 1,638m
On Stage Two, men and women will face exactly the same stage which starts in Tadcaster. The action commences on the newly-reopened Tadcaster Bridge and ventures into Knaresborough where the first intermediate sprint points are up for grabs. The sole categorised climb comes on the Côte de Lofthouse and then it’s on to Ripon for the second intermediate sprint. The race will skirt Fountains Abbey before a fast approach to Harrogate, and the action will reach its crescendo along Parliament Street, just as it did on the opening stage of the 2014 Tour de France.
Stage 3: Sunday 30th April 2017: Bradford To Fox Valley, Sheffield
Total stage length: 194.5km
8 King of the Mountain Climbs: Silsden, Haworth, Leeming, Shibden Wall, Deepcar, Wigtwizzle, Ewden Height & Midhopestones
2 Sprints: Brighouse & Stocksbridge
Total ascent: 3,517m
On Stage Three The riders roll out of City Park in Bradford and take in Salts Mill before the start flag is lowered. The action then briefly joins the 2014 Tour de France route at Burley-in-Wharfedale before passing into the Yorkshire Dales. Skipton is the next town on the agenda, with the first of eight categorised climbs being contested on the Côte de Silsden. The next ascent comes on the cobbled rise up Haworth’s picturesque main street and another climb at Leeming must also be tackled before they face the infamous Côte de Shibden Wall. This cobbled brute could see splits form before the final intermediate sprint in Stocksbridge. The riders then embark on a torturous 22km finishing circuit that features no less than four categorised climbs at Deepcar, Wigtwizzle, Ewden Height and Midhopestones before the race reaches its climax at Fox Valley.
Race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and A.S.O have announced a host of big-name riders for the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire, with Luke Rowe, Nacer Bouhanni and Caleb Ewan among those set to compete.
Welshman Rowe, who has been part of the last two Tour de France wins, will be joined in a strong Team Sky line up by Olympic Gold Medallist Owain Doull and 2016 World Track Champion Jonathan Dibben.
Bouhanni, one of the world’s top sprinters who has five Grand Tour stage wins to his name and has already claimed the Nokere Koerse and Paris–Camembert titles this season, will head up the Cofidis Solutions Credits team while fellow star sprinter Caleb Ewan leads the Orica-Scott charge in a squad that also includes 2016 Paris-Roubaix winner Mathew Hayman.
And both previous TDY winners Lars Petter Nordhaug and Thomas Voeckler will once again be racing.
The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire on Saturday 29 April also boasts a top-quality field with Olympic Road Race Champion Anna van der Breggen (Boels-Dolmans), two-time World Champion Giorgia Bronzini (Wiggle High5) and 2017 Tour of Flanders winner Coryn Rivera (Team Sunweb) all on the start line.
In addition, reigning British Road Race Champions Adam Blythe (Aqua Blue Sport) and Hannah Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) will both be in action along with three former race winners in Lars Petter Nordhaug (Aqua Blue Sport), Thomas Voeckler (Direct Energie) and Kirsten Wild (Cylance Pro Cycling).
Yorkshire’s very own Scott Thwaites (Dimension Data) and Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolmans) are also set to be in attendance, with the full start lists for both races being unveiled before the men’s race commences on Friday 28 April.
Here is a full list of the teams:
Men’s Teams:
* BMC Racing Team
* Team Sky
* Team Katusha-Alpecin
* Orica-Scott
* Team Sunweb
* Dimension Data
* Direct Energie
* Team Lotto NL Jumbo
* Team Cofidis
* Delko-Marseille Provence KTM
* Team Roompot
* Aqua Blue Sport
* BIKE Channel Canyon
* ONE Pro Cycling
* Great Britain Cycling Team
* JLT Condor
* Madison Genesis
* Raleigh GAC
Women’s Teams:
* DRops Cycling Team
* Boels-Dolmans
* Team Hitec Products
* Team Sunweb
* Alé Cipollini Galassia
* Canyon-SRAM
* Cylance Pro Cycling
* Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling
* Bepink-Cogeas
* FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope
* Team Ford EcoBoost
* Team Jadan Weldtite
* SunSport Velo
* Lares-Waowdeals
* Fusion RT Fierlan
* Team Storey Sport
* NCC Group-Kuota-Torelli
* Team WNT
Last year’s event attracted around 2 million spectators, so this year it is hoping even more will attend.
And if you aren’t able to get down live to watch it the 3-day event will be shown on ITV 4 and EuroSport, with the women’s 1-day event being on the Saturday.
For any further information please head on over to letour.yorkshire.com