Millions of reasons why the Tour de Yorkshire should be extended

TWO of Yorkshire’s leading cyclists have joined the growing clamour for the Tour de Yorkshire to be extended into a fourth day.

A record 2.2 million people are said to have lined the route over the three days of the annual race that crossed the county from Bridlington to Sheffield.

Sir Gary Verity, the chief executive of co-organisers

Welcome to Yorkshire, has repeatedly lobbied the sport’s authorities for an extension as he believes adding a fourth day, and specifically a second day for the sprinters, would help lure box-office names such as Mark Cavendish to the area.

Verity will file paperwork with the Union Cycliste Internationale to that effect later this month, but it is British Cycling which has so far resisted the calls for an extension.

An already sought-after date, plus the need for a lasting legacy outside of the race, have in the past been cited as reasons against expansion by the governing body.

But, fresh from another uplifting Tour experience, both Scott Thwaites, of this year’s winning team Dimension Data, and Adam Blythe, of Aqua Blue Sport, believe the time is ripe for an extension of their home race.

“I’d like to see a fourth day, the more the merrier,” said Burley-in-Wharfedale’s Thwaites. “It could even turn into a week-long stage race in the future. Three days is a nice way to run the race and it’s been successful so far, but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t have a fourth day.

“It would give more opportunities for stage wins and a chance to go to other parts of the region as well. You can see with the amount of people coming out to support the race how much of a boost it is for Yorkshire.”

Blythe’s reasons are more personal, given he is a sprinter and would relish the opportunity to prosper on a flatter stage.

“It would be good to move up to four days, if they could. It just depends on how hard they make it,” said Sheffield’s reigning British champion, who had top10 finishes on the first two days.

“The first 150km on Sunday was just a bit of a parade because it was so hard, until the fireworks happened.

“Another flat stage would help; the pace would be faster, you could give more time bonuses along the way, which would make it a lot more exciting.”

Blythe, who hopes to ride in the three-week Vuelta a Espana later this summer, added: “There’s not many places in the world where you would come and get this much support on the roadside.”