Tour de Yorkshire: Brakes on over attempts to resurrect cycle race

The race began in 2015 as a legacy event after the county hosted the Tour de France's Grand Départ in 2014

Attempts to revive the Tour de Yorkshire cycle race have failed, say the new owners of Welcome to Yorkshire.

The organisation failed to reach an agreement with Tour de France owner, Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), said managing director Robin Scott.

The event, which attracted thousands of visitors, was last held in 2019.

Organisers said they instead hoped to deliver an event in 2024 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in the region.

The Tour de Yorkshire began in 2015 as a legacy of the county hosting the start of Tour de France's the previous year.

However, the Yorkshire race, which expanded to four days, was cancelled during the pandemic and again in subsequent years due to "escalating financial challenges and uncertainties".

'Heartland of cycling'

The new Welcome to Yorkshire business said it would create a separate non-profit organisation, focused on bringing cycling events to the region.

Mr Scott said talks had failed with the ASO, but an agreement in principle had been reached with SweetSpot, who organise the Tour of Britain, for a legacy event in 2024.

"In SweetSpot we have found a partnership which will be good for Yorkshire," he said.

"In 2024, we're hoping to deliver a marquee event for the region which evokes a similar energy to the amazing 2014 Grand Départ we remember so fondly," he said.

Analysis: Spencer Stokes, business and travel correspondent, BBC Yorkshire

How do you follow that?

After the Tour De France Grand Depart in 2014 regional tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire were keen to capitalise on the success of the event - and so the Tour de Yorkshire was born.

An annual race for elite riders linking towns and cities across the region over the early May bank holiday weekend.

Spectators turned out in their droves to see three days of racing, but it divided opinion. While some tourism businesses benefitted form the part-publicly funded cycling jamboree others said it led to a downturn in trade with people staying away from the route due to road closures.

The 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled because of the pandemic and by 2022 Welcome to Yorkshire had collapsed into administration after local councils cut funding.

The new privately-owned, slimmed-down Welcome to Yorkshire has failed to do a deal with ASO - the French owner of the Tour de Yorkshire race, but they insist cycle racing will return to Yorkshire multiple times in the near future.

It was last held in 2019

Hugh Roberts, from SweetSpot, said: "Yorkshire has cemented its place as a heartland of cycling, so it is fitting that... we ensure there are as many days of elite cycling taking place in Yorkshire across the calendar.

North Yorkshire will also be the setting for a stage of the Tour of Britain cycle race later this year.

Stage four is due to start on 7 September in Redcar and finish at Duncombe Park in Helmsley.

The 93-mile (150km) stage will also take in Whitby and the North York Moors National Park.

It is set to be "one of the toughest stages of this year's race", Mr Roberts added.

The BBC has approached ASO for a comment.