Countdown begins to the arrival of Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds

With just under a week to go before the Tour de Yorkshire lights up Leeds, here is everything you need to know to ensure you do not miss a minute of the action.

In what is truly something not to be missed, both the women and men’s races will be riding through areas of Leeds on Friday, May 3. The men’s race will then return to the city on Sunday, May 5 as part of the event’s spectacular finale. This year, the women’s race will be held on Friday, May 3 to Saturday, May 4, with the fifth edition of the men’s competition taking place over four stages from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 5. The women’s stages will commence in the morning with the men’s stages following in the afternoon. In total, the race will encompass all four corners of the county and take in 150 villages, towns and cities along the way.

Estimated timings for points on the route of each stage are now available on the Tour de Yorkshire event website: (http://letouryorkshire.com/timings) but are subject to change depending on variables such as wind speed, direction and how aggressively the riders race.

Tour de Yorkshire in Leeds:

Friday 3 May: Men’s Stage 2 and Women’s Stage 1 – Barnsley to Bedale

Riders will enter the Leeds area from Castleford passing Allerton Bywater before entering Kippax. They will then pass through Garforth and on towards Barwick in Elmet. The route then goes through Scholes, Shadwell, Alwoodley, Bramhope and Pool, leaving the Leeds area over Pool Bridge, heading towards Harrogate and finishing in Bedale.

Sunday 5 May: Stage 4 – Halifax to Leeds

Riders will enter Leeds from the north through Otley. They will ride up East Chevin Road and towards Cookridge, heading down Green Lane and back up Tinshill Lane onto Otley Old Road. The route then follows Spen Lane down to the A65 then up Cockshot Lane to Stanningley Road before using Canal Road to head back down, crossing the A65 again, to reach Burley Road. The final sprint will take riders into the city centre for the rip-roaring finish on the Headrow to the front of the Town Hall and Art Gallery.

As part of the celebrations to mark the race, Leeds and Millennium Square will once again be hosting the Tour de Yorkshire fan village, which will feature dozens of live performances and family friendly activities. This will also include the chance to watch the race on the big screen as you enjoy the activities on offer. For more information, please see: https://news.leeds.gov.uk/tour-de-yorkshire-fan-village-back-in-leeds/

Leeds City Council are committed to ensuring the race is safely facilitated.

Road closures will be managed by the Police Central Escort group on a rolling road closure basis to ensure minimal disruption. To help safely facilitate the race for both riders and spectators at key sporting stages of the race however, some longer-term road closures may be required.

There will be some on-street parking suspensions across the city. Both advance warning and event road signage will be used to help inform residents and spectators of any restrictions.

There may also be some disruption to public transport services and details of bus service interruptions and temporary diversions will be available at www.wymetro.com or (0113) 2457676 in due course.

Access to the hospital will be maintained, however it is recommended that you plan any journeys well in advance to avoid when the race is passing through as it is expected there will be the most traffic congestion during these times.

Routes for emergency vehicles will be kept open at all times and emergency services, health and social care, community meals and other agencies are working together to ensure that the impact on normal services is minimal. Should you have any concerns in this regard please contact your health or social care provider directly or contact the Adult Social Care team on 0113 2478413.

Spectators will be able to watch the race from the road side anywhere along the route and local residents and businesses are encouraged to get involved.

See the full route map, more information and the latest Tour de Yorkshire updates on the official website: http://letouryorkshire.com