Beverley to host the opening races of Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships

The historic market town of Beverley has been confirmed as the start location for the very first day of competition of the Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships.

The route and schedule for next year’s event was announced today (Wednesday, 26 September) in Innsbruck, Austria, where the 2018 championships are drawing to a close.

Thousands of cycling enthusiasts are anticipated to descend upon Beverley and line the route through the East Riding to catch a glimpse of some of the world’s top riders on Saturday, 21 September 2019.

The nine-day celebration of cycling will take place between 21-29 September and commence in Beverley on the Saturday with a ground-breaking para-cycling event running alongside the Championships, which will act as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The showcase will feature every Paralympic road racing discipline and take place in front of one of the largest crowds ever assembled for an elite para-cycling event.

After the start in Beverley, riders will then pass through Market Weighton, Holme-Upon-Spalding-Moor, Foggathorpe and Bubwith before heading into North Yorkshire, via Tadcaster and Wetherby, and finishing in Harrogate.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The council is proud to have secured part of this prestigious cycling event. It is a phenomenal achievement and a real privilege for both Beverley and the wider East Riding.

“The Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships is as big as the Tour de France and will see 90 national teams compete over nine days.

“As well as being a once-in-a-lifetime sporting event for residents and visitors to the East Riding, the championships will put our region firmly on the global map, with the races anticipated to be viewed by a worldwide audience in excess of 225 million in 150 countries.

“The races will generate a lot of positive publicity for Yorkshire and will be a real opportunity to boost the local economy.”

For further information about the Yorkshire 2019 UCI Road World Championships, visitwww.yorkshire2019.co.uk, follow @Yorkshire2019 on Twitter or likewww.facebook.com/Yorkshire2019