Tour de Yorkshire 2016 route announced

The route of the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire has been revealed.

Split into three stages, the cycle race covers 515.5km (320 miles), and will see riders weave across the Yorkshire landscape.

The race starts on Friday, 29 April in Beverley, East Yorkshire, and will end on Sunday, 1 May in the North Yorkshire resort of Scarborough.

Last year's inaugural race was watched by an estimated 1m people and brought £50m into the region's economy.

The event was launched after Yorkshire hosted the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014.

More than 140 riders joined the first race, including Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins.

The 2016 Tour will see the men's race start on 29 April with a women's race held on Saturday 30 April.

The route, stage one: Beverley to Settle

Beverley played host to the 2015 Tour and riders will parade around the town before heading to the racecourse for the official start.

They will then weave through the Wolds, crossing the A64 at Tadcaster before heading north past Wetherby and into the Yorkshire Dales.

Once the cyclists leave Pateley Bridge there is a tough climb at Greenhow Hill. It is then downhill from Grassington to Gargrave and along the A65 before a finish in Settle.

People embraced the Tour de France spirit when the Grand Depart came to Yorkshire in 2014

Stage two: Otley to Doncaster

The second leg, which begins in the home town of Olympic cyclist and 2014's Otley Grand Prix winner, Lizzie Armitstead, will see male and female cyclists ride the same route for the first time.

Past Harewood, the start of last year's Grand Depart, riders should be able to pick up speed as the route loops to the east of Leeds. The race then heads south towards Pontefract and into South Yorkshire for a finish in Doncaster.

Last year's Tour de Yorkshire took in spectacular climbs including the famous Cow and Calf hill above Ilkley

Stage three: Middlesbrough to Scarborough

The final day starts in Middlesbrough, which forms part of the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire before riders take a tour of market towns including Stokesley and Northallerton.

From Thirsk they will head on to Sutton Bank and through the national park before going over the moors to Whitby and finishing along Marine Drive in Scarborough.

As well as the professional race there is a mass-participation "sportive" for cyclists along the same roads as the Tour de Yorkshire.

This will take place on the same day and roads as the third stage of the event's pro ride.

The race, which is paid for through private and public funding, is organised by Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sport Organisation, which organises the Tour de France.