The Tour de Yorkshire trophies have come to town!

Schoolchildren in Leeds were given the chance to see the famous Tour de Yorkshire trophies today as the leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Judith Blake, welcomed them to the city as part of Welcome to Yorkshire’s trophy tour.

Each year in the lead up to the race, both the men’s and women’s trophies visit each of the start and finish locations on their very own tour. The trophies have followed the route of the tour by visiting Beverley, Doncaster, Barnsley, Ilkley, Richmond, Scarborough and Halifax, finishing earlier today in Leeds. The Tour de Yorkshire is now less than two months away, taking place on Thursday 3^rd May – Sunday 6^th May. Leeds is hosting the grand finale on Sunday 6^th May. The race will finish on The Headrow – on exactly the same spot as where the Tour de France started in 2014.

This afternoon, the trophies visited the new Leeds Urban Bike Park situated in Middleton Park. Phase one of the £1.2m cycling hub, funded by Leeds City Council, British Cycling and Sport England, opened in December 2017, and currently features a cross country mountain bike trail, a pump track mini pump track, and a revamped and extended former golf clubhouse building which will provide extra space for community activities and educational programmes.

There are still two more phases of work before the bike park will be completed, and it will boast a fantastic range of family-friendly facilities and activities for people of different cycling experience.

Today, the leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Judith Blake joined schoolchildren from Middleton St Mary's C of E Primary School and Holy Family Catholic Primary School who were invited to the park to celebrate the arrival of the famous ‘Y’ trophies in the city. They received an hour long coached cycling session at the park, followed by the exciting chance to see the trophies close up and even hold them.

Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor Judith Blake said:

“The trophy tour is a great way for communities to get involved and build excitement in the lead up to this year’s Tour de Yorkshire, and we are very excited that Leeds is hosting the last leg of the race.

“It was an unbelievable moment when our city was given the chance to host the truly amazing Tour de France le Grand Départ in 2014, and we have been determined to build on this legacy and make Leeds a real city of cycling. It was wonderful therefore to welcome the TDY trophy to our very own Leeds Urban Bike Park, which is a fantastic facility for cyclists of all ages and abilities, including children, families and beginners, as well as more experienced riders.”

A second event took place as part of the tour at the University of Leeds’s Bodington Playing Fields this morning. The University of Leeds invited pupils from two local schools, Yeadon Westfield Junior School and Meanwood Church of England Primary School, to the cycle circuit for a coached session led by international cyclists. Children also had the chance to meet triathlon athlete, Gordon Benson.

Becky Stubbs, Leeds City Council press office

Tel: 01133 786199Email: rebecca.stubbs@leeds.gov.uk

Notes for editors

For more information about the event at Bodington Playing Fields please contact Tilly Hall on 0113 343 7525 or n.c.hall@leeds.ac.uk.