Tour of Britain is chance for Yorkshire to reclaim its status as cycling capital of the world - The Yorkshire Post says

The Tour of Britain cycle race will grace our county in September, the first time it has done so for more than decade.

Ever since that unforgettable weekend in July 2014 when the region hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, Yorkshire has fallen in love with cycling and become a major venue for the sport on the world stage.

The extraordinarily successful delivery of the event, and the thousands upon thousands of people it brought to our streets kickstarted further events such as the Tour de Yorkshire and the UCI Road World Championships.

Indeed Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx went so far as to call Yorkshire the cycling capital of the world.

The Tour of Britain will be shown in more than 150 countries, with the event at large set to attract one million spectators nationally, generating £29.96m for the economy in the process.

However alongside the joy over the Tour of Britain coming to Yorkshire lies question marks over the region’s set piece cycling event.

After a successful few years the Tour de Yorkshire has hit hard times, with the 2020 and 2021 events having been postponed due to Covid-19 restrictions and the 2022 race cancelled owing to financial issues.

The willingness to bring back the race still exists but no decision can be taken until the conclusion of an independent review of organiser Welcome to Yorkshire is concluded in the coming weeks.

With sponsors reluctant to attach their name to race and local authorities reluctant to commit any additional spend as they deal with their own budget issues, the picture looks bleak.

The success of the Tour of Britain leg will be essential if Yorkshire is to keep its cycling capital crown.