Cyclists put to the test ahead of the Tour de Yorkshire

The Tour de Yorkshire, the region’s very own high-profile cycling race, is just a month away with the first leg of the three-day event on Friday, May 1.

In anticipation of the inaugural event, a group of cycling journalists from the UK and abroad have tested a 50km section of the first stage, with former professional road race cyclist, Sean Kelly, taking the lead on the route between Pickering and Whitby.

One of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, the Irishman; now a respected Eurosport commentator, was invited as part of the media contingent by Welcome to Yorkshire, which is co-organising the big event with Tour de France owners Amaury Sport Organisation.

High winds disrupted the riders’ progress but Dee Marshall, head of communications at Welcome to Yorkshire, said the group was impressed: “They had an amazing time and said it was going to be a challenging route. They thought the landscape, particularly the coast and Dalby Forest, was incredible. They’re all saying it’s going to be one of the most exciting cycling events in Europe in 2015.”

The tour’s first leg on May 1 takes in 174km between Bridlington and Scarborough; stage two on May 2 is another 174km ride from Selby to York, and stage three on May 3 is a 167km cycle between Wakefield and Leeds, where the race ends.