With just weeks to go until the 2018 Tour de Yorkshire, organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sport Organisation have announced a record 40 teams will compete.
Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity shared the news at Y18 – the UK’s largest tourism event – in Bradford and revealed 20 men’s and women’s teams will be in action, up from 36 in 2017. Of those, 10 teams will be taking part for the very first time.
The men’s race – which takes place between 3-6 May – will include six UCI WorldTour teams, seven Pro Continental outfits and six British squads, plus the new Yorkshire-based (although Irish registered) Holdsworth Pro Racing making their debut alongside Astana, Euskadi Basque Country – Murias, Rally Cycling and Vital Concept.
The Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race on 3-4 May also boasts an expanded field. Seven of the 12 top-ranked teams in the world will be in action along with five further European and nine British squads. Of those, Boompods EDCo, Experza-Footlogix, NJC Biemme Echelon, Parkhotel Valkenburg and Team OnForm are new additions for 2018.
Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity said: “The demand from teams looking to compete in the Tour de Yorkshire is always high and that reflects the esteem in which our race is regarded. Reducing the number of riders per team from eight to seven in the men’s event meant we could invite more squads than ever before, and we also upped the number of women’s teams from 18 to 20 to ensure parity.
“Having the best teams in the business coming to Yorkshire is a massive coup and we’re delighted to have a record number of British-based teams pitting themselves against the world’s finest riders.
Millions of spectators are expected to line the route for the newly expanded four-day men’s race and two-day women’s race. The women’s stages will commence in the morning with the men’s stages following in the afternoon.
The full schedule and race timings can be viewed online now at;
www.letouryorkshire.com/timings
The post 2018 Tour de Yorkshire And Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race appeared first on Yorkshire Reporter.