A to Z guide of what's on in your town or village: the cycling UCI Road World Championship celebrations are coming!
The championships are taking place place from 21 - 29 September 2019.
One of the biggest sports events of the year is about to land right on our doorstep and towns across the region are gearing up for the celebrations.
Scroll down to find a list of what's going on in your town or village. We have a whole A-Z guide.
Millions of visitors are expected, along with some of the world's best cyclists. Beginning in Harrogate and traveling through North Yorkshire, there will be races in a range of disciplines, chasing across the region for the honour of wearing the rainbow-striped jersey.
North Yorkshire host towns include Richmond, Northallerton, Ripon and Wetherby. Harrogate has been selected as the main competition town. The competition also stretches down to South Yorkshire.
Find out more information by downloading the spectator guide here
What events can I see in our region?
HARROGATE • Sunday 22 September - Team Time Trial Mixed Relay
HARROGATE • Monday 23 September - Women Junior Individual Time Trial & Men Junior Individual Time Trial
RIPON • Tuesday 24 September - Women Elite Individual Time Trial & Men U23 Individual Time Trial
NORTHALLERTON • Wednesday 25 September - Men Elite Individual Time Trial
RICHMOND • Thursday 26 September - Men Junior Road Race
You can take a sneak peek at the route yourself by following our correspondent Gregg Easteal as he makes his way around the region riding the route of the men's elite road race.
Scroll down to find your town and what activities are on:
There's no A (and quite a few other letters are missing) but moving on...
B
Bainbridge
Community Fun Day – Sunday September 29th 09.00 - 17.00
The community in Bainbridge have arranged for a family fun day on the village green, right on the route of the Men’s elite race on Sunday.
Activites include pop-up stalls, inflatables, music, entertainment, along with a big screen to watch the race.
Boroughbridge
Boroughbridge Welcomes the World – Friday September 27th 14.00 - 20.00
On Friday The Men's under 23s Road Race rolls through Boroughbridge. There will be a community event held to celebrate the cycling, which will include a big screen, food, drink, music and a kids assault course. It all takes place in ‘Shared Space’ on the Back Lane Car Park.
C
Carperby
Community Funday - Thursday September 26th 11.00 - 14.00
Carperby are coming together on the village green for a ‘bring and share’ picnic. They’re asking people to come dressed completely in one of the UCI Rainbow colours. The race will also be shown on a big screen, and the riders are expected in the town around 12.45pm.
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison Land Art – Thursday September 26th 12.20
The Army have created two pieces of Land Art at the Catterick Garrison football centre.
The first is ‘A Racing Rose’, which is a nod to the UCI Road World Championships and the second is a ‘Garrison Soldier’, which links the tri-services and the service personnel role in North Yorkshire. A number of the local schools have got involved in helping to create it.
H
Harrogate
Harrogate Royal Hall – Saturday 21st, Monday 23rd , Thursday 26th , Friday 27th September
Four nights of top-quality cycling entertainment will be happening at Harrogate’s Royal Hall to complement the world-class racing taking place in the town.
You can join Britain's most decorated Olympian Sir Bradley as he shares exclusive tales, along with hearing new voices of cycling, Ned Boulting and David Millar. A spectacular gala dinner will also be held on the eve of the racing.
There is also the opportunity to join Belgium cycling legend and "The Lion of Flanders" - Johan Museeuw on a ride over the Yorkshire Countryside.
For families with young children, there is entertainment across both weekends, with activities raging from soft play to yoga, along with arts and crafts.
Other activities include a "Party in the Park", community BBQ, pop-up stalls, along with lessons to help the tots get to grips with their first set of wheels.
K
Knaresborough
Party in the Castle, Knaresborough Castle - Saturday September 21 at 11.00 - 21.00
‘Party in the Castle’ is a free day of fun organised by Knaresborough Chamber. As well as the chance to watch the international Para-cyclists racing through the town, there’s a whole day of entertainment lined up, including cycling related activities, food and drink stalls, a historicsteam and traction engine rally, classic cars and a local farmers market in the Market Place.
This will be followed by live music in the Castle from 1pm onwards, including Shelley Stevens from Britain’s Got Talent.
A Mini Fan Park with Big Screen for the Mixed Team Time Trials is also being setup in Knaresborough Castle followed by a family friendly open-air film.
You can also have the chance to watch the race from a unique viewpoint at England's Oldest Tourist Attraction, the Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough.
L
Leyburn
Leyburn Mini Fan Zone – Sunday September 29th
The town will be assembling a big screen to view the race, along with live local music, food court, climbing wall and funfair rides.
The caravan is also due through Leyburn at around 09.30 ahead of the race around midday.
(For the first time in the event’s 98-year history, Yorkshire 2019 have organised a publicity ‘Caravan’. This was hugely popular when the Tour de France came to Yorkshire in 2014, and this year, the flotilla will travel the Men’s Elite Road Race route.)
M
Masham
Masham Market Place – Wednesday 25th, Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th September.
There is a big screen being setup on the Market Place to show all three races that pass through Masham. There’ll also be an expanded market, cycling-related stalls, exhibition and outdoor movies.
Leeds West Indian Carnival – Sunday September 29th 12.45 - 15.30
After the Elite Men's race has rolled through town the Leeds West Indian Carnival will be taking to the streets. You can see them from Silver Street to Market Place.
N
Northallerton
Town Centre – Wednesday September 25th Race starts 14.45
A countdown clock has already been put up in front of the town hall, counting down until the start of the Men’s Elite Individual Time Trial. Hundreds of rainbow coloured bikes will decorate businesses and schools on the day, along with a samba band, who are set to perform on stage.
R
Reeth
The Dales Bike Centre in Fremington have setup a Swaledale Fan Hub for the Championships. They’re showing all the races on a big screen, arranging food, drink and entertainment, and have organised bike rides out to see the racing at various locations in the National Park.
The bridge on Grinton Moor - which was due to feature in the Men’s Elite Road Race - was washed away completelybut North Yorkshire County Council are acting swiftly to build a temporary replacement, meaning the route for that race will be unchanged.
Richmond
Richmond Fan Zone - Thursday September 26th - All Day
There’s lots of community activity happening in Richmond throughout the day today, and once the race has ended, they’re going to turn the big screen in the Market Place into a giant outdoor cinema.
Ripon
Festival of Events - Friday September 27th to Sunday September 29th
Ripon City Council are organising three days of free entertainment in the City. There’ll be free fairground rides, climbing wall, street performers, donkey rides, children’s entertainers, cycling exhibition, steam engine display and Morris dancing. They have also organised live music followed by Fireworks.
W
Wetherby
There’ll be lots happening in the Market Place in Wetherby including a Fairground, Artisan Market, Shop Window Dressing competition, and a big screen.
Active Leeds will be hosting games of Boccia (a game similar to bocce, played by competitors who have a physical disability that requires the use of a wheelchair).
There will also be live music from the Collingham Band, Elysian Singers, The Daytones, The Weatherby Choral Society and Musical Theatre Groups, the local Rock Choir and more.