Event organisers have announced the routes of the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride, with three different options available for participants in 2017.
Routes of 100km, 75km, and 45km will offer amateur riders of all abilities a chance to ride on the same day on the same roads as the pros on the final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire, with the longest route packing in a massive 1,974m of climbing.
Starting and finishing in the town of Stocksbridge just to the north of Sheffield, the event is expected to attract over 5,000 riders, with entries available on the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride website from 1pm on Monday, January 16, with those who have pre-registered given priority.
Sir Gary Verity, CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire, said that the routes offered a unique opportunity for normal riders to ride the same roads as the pros and experience having fans out on the course cheering them on.
“One of the great and truly unique things about cycling is that you can ride the same roads as the world’s best riders, and what better way to do so than with top-class support and thousands of other cyclists joining you along the way," Verity said.
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“The routes have been designed to cater for riders of all abilities, and finishing on the same line as the pros will be an amazing experience.”
The routes of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire sportive (red - 75km, green - 45km, combined - 100km)
The 100km route should be hard enough to challenge even the most experienced sportive rider as it heads north out of Stocksbridge with tough climbs at Holmfirth and Emley Moor.
However the most difficult section is saved for last with a circuit to the south of Stocksbridge, which includes the 1.6km climb of Walker Edge with an average gradient of nearly 10 per cent as well as two other testing ascents before a downhill section to the finish.
This difficult southern loop also makes up much of the course for the 45km route, while the 75km only takes in the northern section of the 100km course.
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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
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