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news
Cragg Vale ©Visit YorkshireTdF Yorkshire Grand Depart legacy handed massive financial boost by three cycling organisations
Plans to ensure a lasting legacy for cycling from the Tour de France Grand Depart in Yorkshire in 2014 has been given a massive boost by three national cycling organisations, including British Cycling which has emphasised that it wants the staging of the event to translate into concrete benefits for grassroots cycling.
Together with CTC and Sustrans, the governing body for cycling in Great Britain has pledged funding to ensure a long-term legacy for cycling from the Tour's visit to the area.
Graham Tichener, director of legacy for Le Grand Depart 2014, told the York Press that the three organisations would be “putting an awful lot of money and time into this region over the next few years”.
A spokesman for British Cycling told road.cc: "Since ASO awarded the delivery of the 2014 Grand Depart to Yorkshire, we have been working with local authorities to help them provide a long-term legacy for cycling in the region.
“Exciting as it is to have the world’s biggest bike race in Britain, for us large-scale events like the Tour have to deliver sustained benefits.
“So our efforts are concentrated on working with a broad range of community, public and private sector partners across Yorkshire and Humberside now, over a year out, to ensure there are benefits for grassroots cycling – whether people are using bikes as a means of transport, for fun or for sport.”
The news will provide some a welcome relief after it emerged in recent weeks that Visit England did not have the level of funding necessary to back the Yorkshire bid.
The Yorkshire bid was not backed by the Government which instead, through UK Sport backed the rival bid by Edinburgh to stage the 2016 Grand Depart. The Government has so far resisted calls from Yorkshire MPs including Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg who even arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister and cabinet.
Visit England boss James Berresford told the Yorkshire Post that Edinburgh's bid had been more financially viable. He said: Visit Scotland have far more funds at their disposal. And being a devolved authority, they can have that more aggressive approach, because they’ve got more funds to do it. We don’t.”
Dee Marshall, of Welcome To Yorkshire, said: “This will be the region’s chance to shine. We need to maximise what we do and maximise customer care and then we will have a legacy of people coming back time and time again during their lives.”
Also this week, local councils and the police vowed to help promote safety for cyclists in the run up to and following the mass event.
Chief superintendent Alison Higgins, director of operations at North Yorkshire Police, told the Craven Herald that cyclists were 'welcome' to the area.
She said: “The prestige and support for the event itself guarantees a boost to the local economy. It will also showcase the outstanding beauty of our area as a place to visit and as a prime destination for cycling.”
Chris Knowles-Fitton, leader of Craven District Council, said: “This will require mutual respect between motorists and cyclists with all road users recognising their individual responsibility for the safety of each other.”
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34 comments
West Yorkshire in particular desperately needs a good leagcy from hosting this event. It is the county with the second lowest rate of cycling to work in England (behind Co. Durham) with South Yorkshire in third place. Even the cycling hotspots of York and Hull are on the ropes, with cycling for transport static in York and down 20% in Hull since the 2001 census.
And cycling in Leeds is twice as dangerous in terms of people killed and seriously injured per mile travelled as it is in Manchester, Nottingham, Liverpool or any comparable UK city. But even then it's much safer than the rest of West Yorkshire, with Bradford and Calderdale being the most dangerous places in the country to cycle.
Surely this is just a great example of cycling and the Tour De France highlighting local customs and cultures?
The French have their kisses, the Italians are big on gestures and Yorkshire types don't like putting their hands in their pockets...
these are top professional riders. 3 hours less in Yorkshire is a major bonus for them.
'Scotland have got the Commonwealth games in any case.'
WTF has that got to do with it ? London had the Olympics but the TdF is still going there.
This was my point earlier. No doubt the Govt will cough up for the bit in London.
Why it needs to go there is beyond me. Someone once said the transfer time is shorter to France, well that will save all of 3 hours from Yorkshire.
But Yorkshire gets nowt normally, so it is fair to share it out a bit. Even the 'Scottish' bid would have ended up in London as it is nearer the south coast and France so makes transfers easier.
As an adopted Yorkshireman, the race will be far better taking on the roads in Yorkshire than some crappy effort setting off from Edinburgh down to Blackpool / wherever.
Yorkshire / Pennines is probably THE hot bed of British cycling and the announced course will be a great showcase, as well as being very selective. Exactly what is required to liven up the first week of the Tour.
It isn't just about 'sharing out' stuff. My other main hobby is mountaineering, and the highlands of Scotland are far better than England for that. Imagine someone from Norfolk moaning that is unfair if Scotland holds a skiing competition? Or that Roseberry Topping should be attracting world class climbers?
Yorkshire's bid won, so perhaps people should just get over it and just start looking forward to it. Maybe ASO were impressed by the Belgium style course, or maybe they were impressed by the sacks of cash dangled in front of their eyes. But it is done now.
@woollee23, @Shay: I'd prefer to wait for a statement from CTC and Sustrans before reading too much into the York Press's report. When the Grand Depart director says they'll be "putting an awful lot of money and time into this region over the next few years", that's not actually a statement of anything new. It could just as easily mean "Sustrans will be opening new routes in Yorkshire, which they were planning to do anyway".
'Scotland have got the Commonwealth games in any case.'
woo. That's a fair swap.
So put in a successful bid, then decide who is going to pay for it afterwards.
With no backing from government we should insist that no MP's jump on the bandwagon and try to claim some credit.
Here. Here. Doubt we can stop them though. Shallow, self-promoting A-holes!
Lovely the Big Society in action. Charities coming in and plugging the holes that local and national government have created or refuse to deal with.
I'm so happy private enterprises will be making loads of money from my British Cycling membership.
p.s. Not forgetting the thousands of unpaid volunteers who will work for hours to get the same experience as a roadside spectator. Ah to be the brains behind a large national event.
Iwould have prefered the Scotland bid to have succeeded as one of the stages would have finished in Newcastle where i live
However being not far from Yorkshire and my brother lives literally 20 mins away from Harrogate i score with both bids.
Shame it had to go to London though, they seem to always get a bit of the pie, but hey ho thats life, just glad we get to see some of it in this country.
CTC and Sustrans should have nothing to do with this. As charities they should not be putting their hands in their (and their supporters) pockets to pay for the shortfall in funding. But BC, as the sports national governing body, do have a role to play in supporting this bid. Still seems wrong that the bid was under-funded.
Both CTC and Sustrans are charities with a role of encouraging more people to cycle and supporting those who do so in various ways. Providing some funding to ensure that the impact of the TDF visit continues for some years afterwards (legacy in the modern use of the word) actually fits really well with their charitable aims. They are not bank-rolling the bid but making a committment to ensure that people get real benefits from the event.
The TDF provides all of us who want to encourage more cycling with a tremendous opportunity and we really should grab it. Of course those of us who love the sport will want to see the action, cheer on our favourites, ride the routes etc. but here we have a chance to really share the fun, and the benefits, of riding bikes on the back of a growing wave of publicity and media attention. Surely both CTC and Sustrans would be foolish not to be involved in that!
Looks like the fat lady needs to sing for her supper
Visit Engalnd had nothing to do with the bid, so not surprising they have not allocated any money for it. Nor did BC for that matter, but my feeling is that there was always the assumption (hope?) by W2Y that if won, le Depart would not be allowed to fall on it's backside...
Bit of an about face from Chief superintendent Alison Higgins, on March 8th she not only agreed with a local councillor who said that cyclists were doing 50mph through Embsay and wing mirrors had been broken off of parked cars also cyclists failed to stop at the pelican crossing. She then stated that cyclists needed re educating thereby implying that all crashes/incidents are obviously the cyclists fault. Now apparently were all welcome with open arms!
So Yorkshire won the bid purely on fancy videos and good PR with nothing to actully back it up ? Could have been red faces all round if these others had not stepped in.
I sure hope that ASO look little more realistically at any future Scottish bids and ask a few more questions. A 100% Scottish based route could have proven pretty entertaining with hills, cobbles, coasts all thrown in the mix.
There is a much greater population within easy reach of the Yorkshire stages than there would have been in even the most density populated part of Scotland (which is also the dullest for holding a competitive cycling event.)
Guess you didn't see the proposed route then. It would have started in Edinburgh and then taken in alot of England on its way to the south coast.
I really hope the next bid which has already gotten approval from many in cycling, ONLY stays in Scotland
The Yorkshire bid doesn't ONLY stay in Yorkshire. leaving aside the fact that Stage 2 goes into Derbyshire, stage 3 crosses southern England.
But I guess ubercumudgeon's comment was about the actual route that will be raced - i.e. the roads, the climbs. Not what it looks like on a map.
Scotland have got the Commonwealth games in any case.
Yeah, a Prologue taking place on a pretty tough course in one of Europe's most beautiful cities and designated World Heritage Site. How dull would that have been?
;o)
Very dull, just like having a climbing stage around the Highlands, cos they aren't very steep hills are they
Such a route would have flashed past every region without really giving any a proper showcase. It is just my opinion, but I'm glad ASO chose to spend two days in one area. In fact, I wish they hadn't diluted it with the third day in the south (in spite of the fact I live there myself.)
It turns out the 2014 Tour won't be starting with a prologue, so maybe that is why ASO chose Yorkshire.
The Highlands are a long way north of Edinburgh. So that wouldn't have been an option if the proposed route headed south. And they differ from the Yorkshire Dales in that they have far fewer roads. Run a Tour de France stage almost anywhere in the Highlands, and you'll cut off half of Scotland with road closures.
Your right about the distance but they are a lot closer than London is from Yorkshire. Dont forget as well this is the worlds biggest race so does it matter if a load of roads are closed for a day or two ?
Just being a devils advocate here
The Scottish bid in its final version didn't have a Prologue either.
Point I was making was that Edinburgh could have hosted a spectacular Grand Depart, and a Prologue was very much part of the plans up till fairly late on.
It was originally bidding for 2017, Yorkshire gatecrashed with its 2016 plans - you're clearly not going to get UK Grand Departs in successive years - they both went into the bidding process for 2014, and the Scottish bid was widened and altered as a result.
Still, it's Yorkshire that has the headache of paying for it now...
well it seems that they aren't given we (BC members) are now paying for part of it without any returns.
Ultimately you will not get cash rich from this event but it will undoubtedly give cycling and the BC members a massive boost towards infrastructure and the like which will be priceless.
I have spent large chunks of my life hanging around in the Highlands, and no, the roads typically aren't very steep. They mostly go up valleys. They are very beautiful, but they mostly aren't that steep (yes, I am aware of the exceptions, e.g. Bealach na Ba etc)
Good luck in getting the Tour to hold a stage in Wester Ross or Torridon. I doubt ASO will be keen on that though.
What a sham, Edinburgh had funding in place, this bid didn't and had to cap in hand to find some
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