Cyclists may be banned from Yorkshire’s 2014 Tour roads

CYCLISTS could be banned from taking the routes that were used in Yorkshire for the Grand Depart of the 2014 Tour de France.

Riders who cycle packed closely together have angered motorists who accuse them of road-hogging, refusing to give way, making insulting gestures and speeding through villages.

The threat comes at a time when British Cycling, the national governing body for cycle sport, is battling to keep open the Grand Depart routes after a spate of accidents and fatalities.

Caroline Patmore, a North Yorkshire councillor, said the behaviour of cyclists was a problem. “All they do is speed and it’s not just two abreast – sometimes it’s three or four on very narrow roads,” she said. “It is not good for motorists following them. When you do overtake, you get a rude gesture.”

Ms Patmore added that cars were unable to pass cyclists who sometimes rode “four abreast”. She said: “They should have signs saying ‘Cyclists welcome – but in single file only’.”

According to the Department of Transport, 246 cyclists were killed or seriously injured in North Yorkshire in the three years since it hosted the Tour.

‘All they do is speed and it’s not just two abreast – sometimes it’s three or four on very narrow roads’

Julie Harrington, of British Cycling, said: “Any move to ban cyclists from any stretch of road is deeply concerning.” She added that the rise in cyclist numbers ought to be celebrated.

Highways England, which has received 10,000 letters of objection to the ban, says a final decision will be announced in a few weeks.