BON RETOUR À FRENCH PREFIXES, A NEW IDENTITY AND A £50M RACE. “Getting the Tour de here and “The race is a joint venture between us attracted several UCI WorldTour teams Verity wanted four days – rather than then essentially forcing their hand with and the organisers of the , and big names. That includes Team Sky, three – to show off that combination to its SPORT EXAMINES THE RISE OF THE the legacy of this event. Although I don’t and we want to keep those strong links, Giant-Alpecin, BMC and Orica GreenEDGE fullest potential, but he was denied. think it was much of a ‘force’ when you see because it’s important to us that the Tour as well as continental sides such as “I’m a bit disappointed by the fact that FRIDAY Tour de Yorkshire, Stage 1: to Settle (186km) | Eurosport 2, 3pm the amount of people here and the level of revisit Yorkshire in the future. And [Tour de Team Wiggins. Sir Brad will continue his didn’t allow them the four success. It’s great for the ASO brand as well France director] Christian Prudhomme is preparation for Rio with his eponymous days,” says Millar. “That would have been Words Graham Willgoss Illustrations Lucy Pittaway – another big race; another big audience.” on record as saying it’s not a question of if squad, while Sky will roll out current cool. Because that’s what it needs to do: As in 2014, each stage has been given a the Tour starts in Yorkshire again, but when. British road champion Pete Kennaugh and keep growing. And a four-day race is more further Gallic twist: every climb takes on a “We believe the international language Luke Rowe. So why has the race been such attractive to riders as well. Because it’s a AVID MILLAR IS THINKING OUT into God’s Own County on two wheels: new name. Plain old Harwood Dale, near of cycling is French. If we want our race to a hit with road cycling’s big guns? bigger load, it sets them up for other races.” LOUD. “I DON’T KNOW IF I AGREE tourism agency Scarborough, for example, becomes the be a top-class international race, we should “If you look at the quality of the field Verity says simply that British Cycling D WITH IT BEING CALLED TOUR estimates more than 1.5 million people exotic-sounding Cote de Harwood. This is be on the same terms as races in that we’ve announced, it’s even better than didn’t want a fourth day to happen. DE YORKSHIRE,” he says. “I like Tour of turned out to watch the pro race last year, one of the joys of the Tour de Yorkshire: and France.” last year because the professionals have “We still want a fourth day to give the Yorkshire. And I have to actually say it in and that it was worth £50m to the region. forgotten towns previously associated with clearly spoken to each other,” says Verity. race balance,” he explains. “It’s painfully the commentary box: Tour de Yorkshire. And that from just the first edition of a seaside miseries are given a new lease of “They all want to ride the race because obvious that all of the professionals want But it gives it that kind of... It’s a bit of fun. race that is the legacy of Yorkshire hosting life with the addition of a French prefix to a UN, DEUX, TROIS. QUATRE? they know that there is nowhere else in an extra day – they want two flat days and They’re not taking themselves too seriously. the Tour de France’s two-day Grand Depart few surrounding hills. THE TOUR DE YORKSHIRE’S NUMBERS the world, apart from the Tour, where you two hilly days. The sponsors want an extra Which I suppose I should buy into.” in 2014. No wonder China’s richest man is Fans will pack the hillsides of Cote de ARE IMPRESSIVE, but it is still rated only as are going to get stunning scenery, fantastic day, the public, the broadcasters, the local If Millar is being deliberately flippant reportedly keen on buying ASO, the French Sutton Bank on the edge of the North a third tier, or 2.1, event as part of the UCI sporting routes and these massive crowds. authorities and the UCI want an extra day. about the choice of name, he is also media group that owns the Tour de France. Moors and Cote de Robin Hood’s Bay, near Europe Tour. It has, however, once again That’s a winning combination.” “So we just have the powers that be at keen to stress that he is a big believer in Welcome back to Yorkshire, mes amies. Whitby, as they do the climbs of the Alps British Cycling to convince, and that fourth Yorkshire having its own Union Cycliste and Pyrenees in the Tour de France. Given day will happen. We don’t want any more Internationale-classified three-day race, the this new identity, is it fair to say the region than a fourth day, but it’s right and proper second edition of which begins today. NOMS DE PLUME has rediscovered a long-lost cool factor? “WE WANT TO KEEP THOSE FRENCH that the race deserves a fourth day. We speak to the former pro rider of 17 “IT’S INCREDIBLE WHAT SIR GARY VERITY “I agree with that,” says Verity. “A lot LINKS, BECAUSE IT’S IMPORTANT “[British Cycling] they have their own years on duty as an ambassador for the HAS DONE WITH IT,” says Millar, full of people who come to visit Yorkshire say: reasons. [They own] the , Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride amateur of praise for the Welcome to Yorkshire ‘[We’d like to] go round the route of the TO US THAT THE TOUR DE FRANCE which happens at a different time of year sportive that complements the main event. chief executive knighted for his efforts in bike races, see the places we’ve seen on [September], and I think they are nervous Millar is not the only one to have bought bringing the Tour de France to the county. TV. A lot of that is down to the naming. REVISIT YORKSHIRE IN THE FUTURE” that this race will start to eclipse that. k

40 41 RIDE YORKSHIRE LIKE A PRO

The Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride, on May 1, gives amateur riders the chance to experience the same course as the final stage of the pro tour, taking place after the end of Stage 3. With distances of either 119km, 80km or 40km, David Millar says it will challenge cyclists of all abilities. “WE ARE PAYING MORE TO THE “Sportives are brilliant,” says Millar. WOMEN’S RACE WINNER THAN WE “Especially for the British, because roads ARE TO THE MEN’S RACE WINNER” are normally so busy. You’re riding on closed roads. For many, it’s the “The other reason they’ve quoted – that is to put on more stages of the women’s first time they’ll ride in it’s taking money from grass roots cycling race. Part of our challenge is covering all of bunches, or in groups, – is clearly nonsense. The pot of money for Yorkshire. In three days, that’s really tricky.” so it’s a completely this race has nothing to do with the pots of The women’s race has a prize fund of different experience. money paying for grass roots cycling.” more than £50,000, making it the most And it’s supported lucrative in the world. Verity says the prize [with marshals and money for the woman who finishes first feed stations]. LA COURSE FEMININE will be at least 40 per cent more than the “Sportives are THE ONE-DAY ASDA WOMEN’S TOUR DE equivalent man would receive. something we should YORKSHIRE WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE “Women’s cycling in general is so far push for, because the SAME ROADS as Stage 2 of the men’s race. behind men’s cycling that simply giving level of participation It begins in , home of road race world financial parity is fine, but it will still take we have now in this champ and our cover star Lizzie Armitstead, a long time to catch up,” he explains. “If country is amazing. So before the men’s stage later on Saturday. we want to move things forward positively, we need to give people Armitstead was the first rider to sign up some positive discrimination is required.” goals to go for. We for the women’s tour, which, says Verity, Millar says a fourth day will also give have Ride , have asked for three things: “The first is parity. the tour a better chance of long-term this one. If we can get a We’ve gone beyond that. We’re paying more relevance: “Then it will still be here in 50 couple more big ones, to the [winner of the] women’s race than years. Sponsors will stay with it. The public it’ll be cool.” we are to the [winner of the] men’s race. will keep coming out. It can only be quirky “Second, they have asked for media and fashionable for a short time. So, yeah, David Millar is an exposure; we’ve given them that with live it needs to be big to survive.” ambassador for Maserati TV coverage. The third is the same route as Bon chance, ye Tykes. GB, title sponsor of the the men... They want to test themselves on @grahamwillgoss Tour de Yorkshire Ride. the climbs. We’ve addressed all three. letour.yorkshire.com/ “What we’d love to do, and a fourth day Lucy Pittaway is the official artist of the Tour de maserati-tour-de- [of the men’s tour] would have enabled this, Yorkshire. Buy her prints at lucypittaway.co.uk yorkshire-ride

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