The popular Tour de Yorkshire returns to the north of England this month with plenty of fantastic spectator opportunities. Here are some of the things you might like to know about the cycling event.

1 The Tour de Yorkshire takes place over three days from April 28 to 30, 2017. 2 The event is for professional riders – both male and female – and is part of the UCI European Tour. 3 It is expected to be one of the biggest UK cycling events in 2017. 4 The men’s race is 490km in total from Bridlington to Sheffield, with three stages. 5 There will be six timed sprints and 12 classified climbs. These are often the most exciting parts of the racing, as well as the finish lines. [caption id="attachment_23314" align="aligncenter" width="1240"] Tour de Yorkshire 2017 route.[/caption] 6 The route will see the cyclists ride to the edges of the county and past two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Fountains Abbey and Saltaire. 7 The women’s race is a single day event of 122.5km between Tadcaster to Harrogate and includes two sprints and a timed climb. 8 Some of the world’s top riders will compete for a number of race jerseys, including, in the men’s race, the Sprint Jersey, Most Aggressive Rider Jersey and King of the Mountain Jersey. [caption id="attachment_23313" align="aligncenter" width="100%"] Riders will pass UNESCO World Heritage site of Fountain Abbey.[/caption] 9 In the women’s race, look out for jerseys awarded for Sprint, Team, Queen of the Mountain and Best Newcomer. 10 There will be 18 men’s teams and 18 women’s teams, including BMC, Team Sky, GB Cycling Team Raleigh, Wiggle High5 Pro Cycling and DRops Cycling Team 11 Amateur riders can also enjoy their own event, the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride on the third and final day of the Tour de Yorkshire. This offers a chance to ride many of the same roads as the pros before they do, including the finish line. 12 The first Tour de Yorkshire took place in 2015 following the huge success of the visit by the 2014 Tour de France riders. [caption id="attachment_23315" align="aligncenter" width="100%"] Riders in the 2016 Tour de Yorkshire. Pic credit: JThomas Creative Commons Licence.[/caption] 13 Some two million people turned up in 2016 to see the Tour de Yorkshire. 14 Stage One: The Coast and Wolds is 173km and travels from Bridlington to Scarborough. 15 Stage Two is called “Historic Market Towns” and sees riders take on 122.5km between Tadcaster and Harrogate. 16 Stage Three is the longest and named the Yorkshire Terrier. The riders will compete over 194.5km from Bradford City Park to Fox Valley in Sheffield. 17 Yorkshire will be very busy during the event so you should plan ahead. You can find out where to spectate on the Tour de Yorkshire. Stage finishes and climbs are likely to be the most popular for viewing. 18 The 2017 official race charity is the Alzheimer’s Society.

If you would like to know more about Macs Adventure's range of cycling holidays, including road cycling holidays, get in touch with our team on info@macsadventure.com or give the Macs Bike team a call on +44(0)141 530 7163 or if you are in the USA or Canada +1-844-336-6103.