Skipton will host the start of Stage Two men’s race and Stage One of the women’s race in this year’s Tour de Yorkshire on Friday May 1, it was announced today. (FRIDAY JAN 17) 

The Three Peaks Stage will cover 124.5km from Skipton to Leyburn. The world’s top female riders will start in the morning with the men following in the afternoon.

The route takes in huge swathes of the Yorkshire Dales National Park with sprint sections in Settle and Horton in Ribblesdale, then past the Yorkshire Three Peaks and Ribblehead Viaduct.

The riders will exit Hawes and face the climbs of the Cote de Buttertubs and the Cote de Grinton Moor, before a fiercely contested finale in Leyburn.

The routes for the 2020 Tour de Yorkshire were unveiled by organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and the Amaury Sport Organisation at a press conference at Leeds Civic Hall.

This will be the first time Skipton has hosted a stage start or finish, although three previous races have passed through the town, along with the Tour de France and the 2019 UCI Road World Championships.

Councillor Richard Foster, leader of Craven District Council, said: “We’re delighted that Skipton will host the start for one of the men’s and women’s stages of the Tour de Yorkshire this year.

“I’m sure Skipton will pull out all the stops to welcome these world-class athletes to our district. We’ll be working closely with businesses and residents to ensure that we all get the most out of this event, while minimising disruption for locals.

“The route itself is really exciting as this will be the first time the Tour de Yorkshire has come past the Three Peaks. This is a great opportunity to promote Craven as a place not just to visit and cycle through, but also as a fantastic place to live and set up a business.”

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority Chief Executive, David Butterworth, said: “We are delighted that the Tour de Yorkshire is coming back to the Yorkshire Dales National Park this year. After visiting the spectacular Three Peaks area for the first time, we are particularly pleased that it will then make its way along Swaledale, which lost out when the Road World Championships were re-routed at the last minute, in September. We look forward to welcoming the many spectators we hope will come to enjoy the racing through the wonderful Dales landscape.”

Stage One of the men’s race, on Thursday April 30, will run from Beverley to Redcar. Stage Three of the men’s race and Stage Two of the women’s race, on Saturday May 2, will run from Barnsley to Huddersfield, while Stage Four of the men’s race, on Sunday May 3, will run from Halifax to Leeds.

The 2020 Tour de Yorkshire will form part of the inaugural UCI ProSeries, and its new 2.Pro classification remains the highest-possible status for a multi-day race outside of the UCI WorldTour. It encompasses all four corners of the county and takes in 160 villages, towns and cities along the way.

The Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s will once again offer equal prize money to the men, making it one of the most lucrative races in the sport.

James Mason, the new Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “It’s exciting for me to be involved with the Tour de Yorkshire for the very first time and this year’s routes look fantastic.

“Many of our county’s iconic climbs are included, and we’re particularly pleased to see Buttertubs and Grinton Moor making appearances after they were unfortunately cut from the World Championships route on account of the weather last September. 

“Seeing the men and women tackle Shibden Wall will also be special, and we’re delighted to be bringing the race to so many new places as well. We’re lucky to have such a diversity of landscapes here in Yorkshire and these races will have something for every type of rider. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m sure we’re in for some really exciting action.”

Christian Prudhomme, ASO’s Tour de France Director, said: “Once again, the team at Welcome to Yorkshire have done a tremendous job in designing such a beautiful, challenging and varied route and I am looking forward to seeing how both races play out.

“They are both harder than ever before, and when you factor in the millions of fans that will be lining the route, we know that the 2020 edition will be one to remember.”

For more information, including route maps, go to www.cravendc.gov.uk/tdy2020