Thursday 3rd May 2018 saw international competition cycling again taking place on the roads of Yorkshire with the return of the Tour de Yorkshire – now in its fourth year and extended to a four day event for the first time since its inauguration.

Stage One of the event started at Beverley in the Yorkshire Wolds and finished at Doncaster in South Yorkshire.    Kirsten Wild of the Netherlands won the women’s race, while the men’s race was won by Harry Tanfield – who comes from Great Ayton in North Yorkshire.

Stage Two took place on Friday 4th May 2018 beginning in Barnsley and ending in glorious weather up at the Cow and Calf above Ilkley (pictured) – the first time that any of the stages have ended with a hill climb and a summit finish.  Denmark’s Magnus Cort Nielsen won the men’s race, while the American rider Meghan Gaurnier won the women’s race on what was reported to be her birthday!

Stage Three on Saturday 5th May 2018 started out from Richmond in Swaledale and headed out across the (mainly flat) Vale of Mowbray and then the first major climb of the day with the gruelling ascent of Sutton Bank up on to hills of the North York Moors and on to the Yorkshire Coast to end the day in Scarborough with Germany’s Max Walscheid as the stage’s winner.

Stage Four on Sunday 6th May 2018 started at the recently refurbished Piece Hall in Halifax before heading up to Hebden Bridge and Haworth (pictured above), then on up to Skipton and in to the Yorkshire Dales on an epic journey which took in a series of brutal hill climbs including the very steep Park Rash above Kettlewell.  The day’s race finished in Leeds with Stephane Rossetto of France winning the stage and Greg van Avermaet of Belgium being declared the overall winner of the four day men’s event.

[News item posted by Eagle Intermedia 3rd-6th May 2018.]