2018 Tour de Yorkshire land art competition launched

Could a community in Leeds be crowned the winner of this year’s Tour de Yorkshire land art competition?

Welcome to Yorkshire is on the lookout for the county’s best creations after launching its annual Tour de Yorkshire land art competition.

Businesses, landowners, farmers, schools and community groups are being encouraged to get creative ahead of the fourth edition of the race on 3-6 May.

Whether it’s a church spire draped in a blue jersey, a field displaying a mammoth bicycle, or a market square spelling out a message of support, all works are welcomed and stand a great chance of being beamed to a global audience of millions when the race’s live television helicopters sweep across the county.

Last year a giant piece of art celebrating the 200^th birthday of Branwell Brontë - commissioned by Andrew Wood from Fields of Vision with the help of children from Haworth Primary School - was crowned the winner after an international public vote, and the coveted trophy is now up for grabs once again.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council said: “It would be great to see as many people as possible get involved with this fun and innovative competition. This is a great chance for people across the city to gather together, be creative and, most importantly, celebrate how brilliant their community is. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the people of Leeds come up with.”

How to enter:

1. Send Welcome to Yorkshire your plans, pictures and designs, and include information about what inspired the piece, how it will be made and where will it be. This will then be shared with TV producers before the race. Submit entries and any questions you have to Becky Kay at bkay@yorkshire.com

2. Welcome to Yorkshire will shortlist the 12 best land art pieces over the four days of action.

3. The shortlisted entries will then be put to a public vote and one lucky winner will receive the coveted land art trophy.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s top tips for creating eye-catching land art are:

1. Position it as close to the race route as possible.

2. Make it as large and as striking as possible so the television helicopters can see it.

3. Land art doesn’t need to be bicycle or tour related, it’s about celebrating communities and getting people talking.

Think about what’s connected to a community – a famous face, an event – what makes it special?

1. Land art shouldn’t be commercial (a company logo for example) but you may wish to celebrate a specific industry – for example, big pints of beer for breweries? A mouse and cheese for cheesemongers/creameries?

2. Get permission to work on the land you intend to use. Please check with local landowners and ensure the local community is happy with plans.

For more information about the competition visit http://letouryorkshire.com/landart

There are plenty of other ways to get involved with the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire too. Roadshows are currently being held across the county which provide information on how to make the most of the race. Dates are being added all the time and details on how to register can be found at http://letouryorkshire.com/information/roadshows

Feeling fit? Then why not tackle parts of the 2018 route for yourself by taking part in the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride. The three routes on offer are suitable for all abilities and culminate on the same finish line as the pros. Find out more at https://letouryorkshire.com/maserati-tour-de-yorkshire-ride

Welcome to Yorkshire is also on the hunt for volunteer Tour Makers. These are a passionate and reliable team who will provide a warm welcome to the millions of fans who descend on the county during the four days of action. Being a Tour Maker offers a fantastic opportunity to be part of the race and more information on how to become one can be found at http://letouryorkshire.com/tour-makers

And last but not least, if you’d like to attend the Y18 event on Wednesday 21 March, you can register now at https://industry.yorkshire.com/marketing/y18

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• The Tour de Yorkshire was launched in 2015 as a legacy of the 2014 Grand Départ. It is

organised by Welcome to Yorkshire and the Amaury Sport Organisation.

• The men’s race holds a 2.1 UCI Europe Tour classification.

• The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire was awarded 1.2 status in 2016.

• 2.2 million spectators lined the route for the 2017 edition, up from 2 million in 2016.

• The 2017 edition was watched by 9.7 million TV viewers in 180 countries.

• The 2017 edition generated £64 million for the Yorkshire economy.

• The race is supported by Yorkshire Bank, Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries, Asda, Dimension Data, Virgin Trains East Coast, Tissot, Le Coq Sportif, Mug Shot, RAGT Seeds, Named Sport and Mavic.

For further information, contact:

Nick Howes – Head of Sports Media

Email: nhowes@yorkshire.com

Direct: 0113 322 3505

Mobile: 07590 96482