The sun was shining all over North Yorkshire on Saturday as over 100 participants in the Tour de Yorkshire cycled 112 miles from Richmond to Scarborough, cutting across the north of my constituency.
The day was an absolutely fantastic success and everyone came together to generate the most amazing atmosphere, including those involved in organising the tour, the sponsors, the competitors and the hundreds of thousands of spectators who lined the route to cheer them on.
It is estimated that more than two million spectators took part in watching the 4-day race with 650,000 people lining the roads during the third stage on Saturday. Cyclists rode from Thirsk, through Sutton-under-Whitestonecliffe, Sutton Bank, Helmsley, Kirkbymoorside, Pickering, Ebberston and then on to Filey in a special detour. My family and I were fortunate to watch the race in Filey, where the race was passing through for the first time.
The race, which became an annual event after the success of the Tour de France in 2014, brings so many economic benefits to the area. Long lines of families cooled themselves down with ice cream from Balderson's in Thornton le Dale and Filey’s fish and chip shops were flat out all day serving customers wanting a taste of one of the things the town is famous for.
Cyclists made their way through the many picturesque villages and market towns, each one was decorated magnificently and on show to the world through TV cameras. Locals and visitors enjoyed local produce from our many cafes, bars, shops and restaurants.
It truly was a day to remember and I look forward to watching it again next year.
Watch the highlights from the day here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4Ai0xAW0Zc