It’s now less than a month until the Tour de Yorkshire cycles into Calderdale.
On the weekend on the 1-3 May, 18 teams of cyclists will be taking part in the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, with the race travelling through Calderdale on Sunday 3 May. This is set to be a spectacular event with names such as Bradley Wiggins and Marcel Kittel a welcome part of the peloton.
On the same day thousands of amateur cyclists will also be taking to the streets of the borough in one of the three Tour de Yorkshire sportives (mass participation bike ride).
The longest of the sportives passes through parts of Calderdale, entering the borough on the A629 from Denholme, passing Ogden Water before turning right through Mixenden, close to Mount Tabor and Norton Tower, heading through Warley and Luddendenfoot, before joining the Tour de Yorkshire route at Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge and Pecket Well, leaving the borough at Oxenhope.
The sportive takes place before the main race event and we’re asking some residents in tricky aspects of the route to help by moving their cars parked on the road by 8am on Sunday 3 May until the last of the sportive has passed at around 12noon.
You can still drive along the roads on which the sportive is taking place but please take extra care as there will be a large number of cyclists along the route. Full details of both the sportive and the main race route are available at www.visitcalderdale.com(external link), where you can also find links to detailed maps of both the sportive route and main race.
Following the sportive, the main event comes into the borough through Barkisland at around 2pm, travels down Cragg Vale at around 2.30pm and leaves the borough up and out of Keighley road at just before 3pm. Rolling road closures will be in place to support this, which means closures for up to half an hour before the race comes through.
Calderdale Council’s Director of Communities, Robin Tuddenham, said:
“The Tour de Yorkshire will be a great event, not just for Calderdale, but for the whole of Yorkshire. The accompanying sportive will also give amateur cyclists the chance to experience the Tour de France legacy and the now legendary Yorkshire support.
“Anyone who went along to the Tour de France in Yorkshire last year will know what a special event it was, and will no doubt be looking to attend the race this year. To ensure the safety of riders and spectators, and to make sure the borough looks its best, we’re asking some residents close to the routes to move their vehicles.
“Unlike last year, the road and parking restrictions will not be in place all day. While the timings may cause some inconvenience, it’s a great opportunity to show the world our fantastic local area and we appreciate your help in making the event safe and enjoyable.”