Peddling Yorkshire: How God’s Own Country became a leading European cycling hub

The Grand Départ originally came to Yorkshire in 2014 and was a resounding success, not only in an economic sense but also in inspiring locals to become more active in getting from A to B.

With Yorkshire joining Edinburgh in hosting the 2027 edition of the event, the Grand Départ is set to become the UK’s biggest-ever free spectator event, according to Simon Morton, director of events at UK Sport. As a result, it’s expected to bring a transformative impact on the region.

2014’s edition of the Grand Départ in Yorkshire helped to bring 4.8 million in roadside crowds watching the annual cycling event’s participants. This helped to pave the way for an estimated £128 million in total revenue, of which £102 million was generated in Yorkshire alone.

Crucially, Yorkshire’s hosting of the Grand Départ 11 years ago helped to kickstart a newfound love for cycling within God’s Own Country that still endures to this day and appears set to become stronger after the Tour de France returns in two years.

Although the region’s own legacy race spawned in the wake of 2014’s event, the Tour de Yorkshire ran from 2015 for four years until it was permanently shelved owing to the pandemic and other factors, there’s still plenty of evidence that the county’s passion for cycling remains stronger than ever.

Growing Yorkshire’s Cycling Infrastructure

Throughout Yorkshire, locals have been benefiting from a series of schemes intent on promoting active travel.

This year, a new £5.1 million active travel proposal in West Yorkshire to improve walking, wheeling, and cycling activities throughout the county was followed by a separate £4 million scheme introduced for York and North Yorkshire, focusing on upgrading cycle parking and promoting community bike initiatives.

Yorkshire is a European cycling hub with a difference. While popular locations like Copenhagen, Brussels, and Amsterdam are appealing for their flat terrains, the nearby Pennines and sweeping hills have made for an exceptional experience for off-road cyclists and those who prefer road cycling alike.

As a result, we’ve seen widespread growth in cycling infrastructure throughout all areas of Yorkshire.

In recent months, three new cycling routes were opened in the North York Moors National Park, fresh proposals for cycling and walking infrastructure for Whitby were approved by North Yorkshire councillors, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) announced plans for a rewards app to introduce perks for green travel like cycling.

There’s also plenty of evidence that Yorkshire’s love affair with cycling is capturing the imagination of locals. Last month, a team of six cyclists embarked on a 1,100-mile bike ride from Leeds Bradford Airport to Nice in the south of France as part of a charity challenge to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society and Candlelighters.

The challenge raised more than £54,000 for the cause and is just an example of the ways that cycling has helped to drive meaningful initiatives around the county.

European Leader?

While the United Kingdom isn’t known for its cycling infrastructure compared to leading European nations like Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium, Yorkshire’s strides in improving access to cycling routes, storage options, and bikes are helping to put the county on the map as a key location for cyclists on a continental scale.

Looking to Europe, it’s clear that there’s still plenty of room for Yorkshire to continue progressing as a leading cycling hub.

Brussels, for instance, also hosted the Tour de France Grand Départ in recent years as the starting location for the event in 2019. The Belgian city is just under 50% larger than Leeds and makes use of its flat terrain to develop a famous cycling infrastructure that saw two-wheeled commutes grow 4% last year despite record rainfall.

The stunning architecture and grid systems have made the Belgian capital an ideal place for both exploring Brussels on foot with GuruWalk and by making use of its well-maintained cycling routes.

With more than 65 cycling nodes over 220 kilometres, Brussels has significantly benefited from its 2017 initiative, Bike for Brussels, which was a campaign focused on building a cycling culture within the city.

While Yorkshire doesn’t have the same clearly mapped cycling routes as Brussels, it’s clear that the county’s cycling network is steadily growing.

The hosting of the 2014 Grand Départ still lives long in the memory of local residents and the initiatives it has spawned throughout the region.

The arrival of 2027’s edition of the Tour de France provides a fresh opportunity for God’s Own Country to once again make strides as a major European cycling hub. If it can build on the successes of the past decade, we could see Yorkshire lay the foundations for the United Kingdom’s cycling culture.