BRINGING the start of the Tour de France to York could raise the city’s cycling profile and attract more visitors to North Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside, according to a bike campaigner.

Coun Andy D’Agorne, leader of the Green group on City of York Council and the authority’s official cycling champion, also said York would benefit from a promotional video, like that created for Liege’s hosting of the event in 2012.

Tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire has submitted a bid for the county to host the Grand Départ, the opening two days of the Tour de France, which are held in a new location outside France every two years.

Coun D’Agorne said: “It raises the profile of cycling in the city for all types of cyclists. Liege’s video features a young girl on a traditional steel bicycle as well as people on proper racing cycles and somebody with a pedal-powered ice-cream stall – like the range of cycles you already see in York.”

Coun D’Agorne also said the Grand Départ should set off from York, instead of the route proposed by Welcome to Yorkshire, which starts in Leeds before passing through the Yorkshire Dales, York and the North York Moors on the way to Scarborough and the coast.

He said: “I believe the Yorkshire bid could be even stronger if the proposal was for the Grand Départ to set off from Duncombe Place, in the shadow of the iconic York Minster which is recognised the world over as a Yorkshire landmark, in preference to Leeds.”

He said cycling services were already being improved in the city, adding: “There are a lot of new facilities that are just going in, for example, the access point at each end of York station, which is being built at the moment and will make it more attractive to cycle in York.”

He said further measures may be taken or accelerated to prepare for an influx of cyclists attending the Grand Départ and events leading up to it. “There is certainly the opportunity to organise more participative events for people attracted by the publicity.

“We have a number of events each year for National Cycle Week and the York Cycle Show on the Knavesmire. These provide a range of activities for different age groups and that sort of thing can be organised for the run up to the event,” he said.

Coun D’Agorne said the opportunity would build on York’s experience of hosting the finishing line of the first leg of the Tour of Britain cycle race in 2009.

York Press: The Press - Comment

The tour should start right here

YORK is one of England’s premier cycling cities, and during March’s Big Pedal initiative we managed to thrash Cambridge in a head-to-head competition to see which of the UK’s most prominent cycling cities could attract the most competitors.

So where better to host the international Grand Départ if, as we hope, the Tour de France will come to Yorkshire in 2016?

York’s cycle guru Andy D’Agorne certainly thinks it should be York, and for him Duncombe Place would be the most obvious location, with its iconic Minster view.

We couldn’t agree more. It’s wonderful news that talks are being held to host two days of the Tour in Yorkshire and, while Leeds and Sheffield may disagree, York would be the perfect starting point. Not only for its stunning location, but to get the message across that this is Yorkshire’s – and probably Britain’s – most bike-friendly city.

And by hosting a world-class event such as the Tour de France, we could see an even bigger surge in cycling interest here.

At the moment Leeds is the preferred choice, but talks are still being held and, with the route by no means finalised, it’s not too late for a change of heart.

After all, no backdrop would portray Yorkshire better than York Minster.

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