Tour de Yorkshire expanded ahead of 2018 edition

ByEurosport

Updated 21/09/2017 at 12:00 GMT

The 2018 edition of the Tour de Yorkshire will be “even bigger” following Thursday’s confirmation from the UCI that the event has been expanded.

CREDIT SWPix.com - Tour de Yorkshire

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The men’s race will now feature four stages rather than three, while the women’s race will be a lengthier two-day race in 2018.

Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de France, Yorkshire

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The Tour de Yorkshire has been an unqualified success since its launch in 2015 – inspired by the Tour de France Grand Depart held in the region in 2014.

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Organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and A.S.O had been seeking to extend the race after its phenomenal success over the last three years, and cycling’s world governing body the UCI confirmed the decision on Thursday, with the race on the 2018 European Tour calendar between Thursday 3rd and Sunday 6th May.

Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity said:

This is absolutely tremendous news and something we have long been working to achieve. We are grateful to British Cycling for supporting our application, and to the UCI for granting us this extension. Seeing the Tour de Yorkshire grow into what it is today is one of my team’s very proudest achievements and none of this would have been possible if the people of Yorkshire - and Great Britain - hadn’t taken the race to their hearts.

This decision will help us attract even bigger names in the future and allow us to design a more varied and spectacular route. Our race is growing in stature all the time and the next two editions will hold even greater prestige given that Yorkshire is also hosting the UCI Road World Championships in 2019. Cycling is booming across the county and today marks an exciting new chapter for our race.

And British Cycling Chief Executive Julie Harrington added: "We welcome the decision by the UCI to endorse the increase in duration of both the men's and women's races at the Tour de Yorkshire as a sign of the fantastic work done by Welcome to Yorkshire in collaboration with British Cycling in building an event which inspires people across Britain to get active by getting on their bikes.

“We look forward to working with the Tour de Yorkshire team to finalise arrangements."

The peloton rides through the village of Lofthouse during stage two of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire on April 29, 2017 in Lofthouse, England.

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The 2017 Tour de Yorkshire was watched by 9.7 million TV viewers in 180 countries and generated £64 million for the Yorkshire economy.

And the success of the event has attracted praise from some of the biggest figures in the sport, with Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme saying:

The Tour de Yorkshire is a true success story and the way the race has grown over the last four years has been incredible. The size and passion of the crowds has not just impressed me, but the cyclists too. They are always blown away by the reception they receive and are already looking forward to coming back in 2018.