An artist impression of the stage for the ceremony
Four Weeks to the Yorkshire Grand Départ Opening Ceremony: Be Part of History
The Yorkshire Grand Départ of the Tour de France 2014 kicks off exactly four weeks tonight with a spectacular Opening Ceremony and Team Presentation at the Leeds Arena, and a chance for spectators to become a part of history.
Defending champion Chris Froome and sprint sensation Mark Cavendish will be among top cycling stars to greet the crowd on July 3, as Yorkshire welcomes 22 of the world’s best cycling teams in a glittering ceremony showcasing some of the county’s top entertainment talent.
Yorkshire band Embrace will headline the event, which will be their first arena gig since their recent sell-out comeback tour and album. Their latest album went straight into the national album chart at number 5. Originally from Brighouse, Embrace have three number 1 albums, six top ten singles and over two million UK album sales behind them.
Embrace frontman Danny McNamara said: “It’s going to be amazing, to have one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world coming to our back yard and to be part of it is nothing short of massive, we’re really looking forward to it!”
Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh will join York singer/songwriter Alistair Griffin on stage to perform the track he wrote called The Road – the official anthem of Yorkshire’s Grand Départ 2014.
Kimberley, known the world over for her role in the multi-platinum selling group Girls Aloud, said: “It is going to be a night to remember and one where we make history together, giving the Tour de France a true Yorkshire welcome. Performing at this event with Alistair in our home county is going to be a special moment for me.”
To celebrate the collaboration between Yorkshire and France, million selling French singer Pauline Vassuer will sing her hit “Allo le Monde”.
The orchestra and chorus of Opera North will perform music specially created for the event live throughout the ceremony, conducted by composer Philip Sheppard, who composed music for London 2012.
The band Hope and Social, one of the stars of the hugely successful Yorkshire Festival, will also take part – teaming up with 100 performers of all ages who’ve joined them as they’ve taken their Tour of Infinite Possibility around the county.
Executive producer Martin Green, who was Head of Ceremonies at the London 2012 Olympics, said: “We’re breaking new ground here for the Tour de France with this ambitious show – it’s something much bigger and completely new to the cycling world. With the theme of the event The People of Yorkshire Welcome the World, this will give the riders the entrance they deserve as the Yorkshire Grand Départ celebrations begin.”
Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “We know how enthusiastic millions of people are to make sure they get a chance to be part of the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire and their first opportunity will be at the Opening Ceremony and Team Presentation on Thursday July 3. Thousands of people will be able to see up close and hear from these cycling stars, witnessing a moment in history and making the Tour’s arrival an unforgettable experience.”
The show will be broadcast around the world, with a special programme in the UK on ITV 4.
Hosts, ITV sports presenter Jill Douglas and the voice of the Tour de France Sebastien Piquet, will interview riders from the teams and Team Sky will parade their top secret Pinarello’s Dogma F8 bikes which have been a year in the making and are reportedly the best bikes the team have ever ridden.
Tickets for the not-for-profit event start at £45 upwards (all the highest priced £85 tickets sold out in minutes) and are available at www.letouryorkshire.com/tickets by phone on 0844 248 1585 or from the box office in Trinity Leeds shopping centre where no booking fee applies.
The 2014 Tour of Britain, which takes place from 7 -14 September this year has been unveiled in a film short that relives some of the best moments from the past few years, and with it a new look for Britain’s biggest professional cycle race.
With 100 days to go at the end of the week until September’s Tour of Britain, the first to be run at 2.HC status, fans can now enjoy the official promo video and look forward to this September’s event.
Cycling around the world is a feat that many cyclists aspire to, but the time that such challenges require away from work and family make them impossible for most ordinary riders.
Ride25 is changing all that with a new flexible approach which allows riders to complete a round the world trip in 25 stages, completed months apart, one tour at a time. Individuals, groups, charities and companies are all invited to take part in however many stages they like, starting wherever they please, whether that be one stage through continental Europe or all 25 from the UK to Australia.
The concept has been set up by Rob Hamilton and John Readman – friends, cyclists and travel enthusiasts. The idea came after Hamilton organised a UK to Australia ride for the African children’s charity 1morechild. He experienced an incredible response to it, which sparked a curiosity between the pair as to how many more people would want to ride across the world if the challenge was made more accessible and flexible for them – the idea for Ride 25 was born.
“Ride25 is all about ordinary people who love to ride, being able to see the world from their bikes, and not having to put their life on hold to do it,” explained Readman.
All the legs have been carefully planned to accommodate seasoned riders through to new starters taking on their first very first cycling challenge, with support along the way for everyone. Every tour along the way comprises 4 days’ cycling, with each day involving between 70-100 miles in the saddle.
However – Ride25 isn’t just about cycling, it’s about the whole travelling adventure. Hamilton and Readman have handpicked the routes to take in the most interesting landscapes, sights and experiences across every country that Ride25 travels – it might not always make for the shortest routes from A to B, but they’re certainly the most exciting.
After each day’s sight-seeing in the saddle, there’s a relaxing environment at every base hotel to share the day’s experiences over a few drinks and an evening meal. It’s not a contest or a training camp, so riders can enjoy themselves – so much so that Ride25 even buys every rider’s first drink at the end of each day’s riding.
While all entrants are invited to use Ride25 as a platform to fundraise for charities close to their hearts, unlike many extreme cycling challenges, there’s no obligation to do so in order to take part – it’s all just about having fun.
Ride25 is donating a bike to an African community for every person that takes part in one of the 25 stages, through its corporate charity partner Re-Cycle, and the brand also raises up to £100,000 each year for the African children’s charity 1moreChild.
LAURA TROTT AND DANI KING LATEST BIG NAMES TO ENTER
This Sunday the legendary Milk Race returns to Nottingham City Centre with exciting new elite cyclists now added to the line up.
The elite field, which includes Dame Sarah Storey, World and European cycling champion Katie Archibald and Olympic gold medalist Ed Clancy, has been joined by Olympic champions Laura Trott and Dani King, who will compete in the Elite Women’s Race.
Trott, who was also part of the ‘make mine Milk’ celebrity based advertising campaign, will lead a strong line-up from Wiggle Honda, alongside 2013 Milk Race Elite Women’s champion, Dani King.
Speaking about her Milk Race debut, Laura said: “I’m excited to be taking part in The Milk Race this year. It creates one of the best crowds on the domestic circuit and who doesn’t love riding in front of big crowds? Women’s road racing in the UK is on a high at the moment and I’m looking forward to putting on a great show with Wiggle Honda and hopefully leading out one of our girls for a win!”
On returning to The Milk Race this year, Dani said: “I’m delighted to be back riding The Milk Race to defend the title I won last year. I can’t wait to get stuck into such a great race.”
The event’s return to Nottingham has been made possible by The Dairy Council and Nottingham City Council who are hosting a day of family activities in Old Market Square on the Saturday before the Milk Race.
As well as the elite races, the Milk Race event will provide a host of entertainment including live music, stunt shows and public rides, starting at 9:30am in Nottingham’s Old Market Square.
A full timetable of the day is as follows:
09.00 The Milk Race Village Opens
09.00 Registration open for Public Rides
10.15 Public Rides: Advanced, Community and Family ride
Press Release – Graham Briggs leads Rapha Condor JLT to Pearl Izumi Tour Series lead in Barrow
Graham Briggs took the individual win to help his Rapha Condor JLT team back into the five red and yellow Pearl Izumi jerseys of Series leaders at the BAE Systems Barrow round of the team based Series.
Briggs outsprinted long-time breakaway companion Tom Scully on Barrow’s long final straight for the win, with Scully’s consolation being the team victory on the night for Madison Genesis, complete with model Astute-class submarines from round sponsors BAE Systems.
Second place behind them for Rapha Condor JLT returned them to the Series lead, with erstwhile leaders NFTO Pro Cycling dropping to third overall having come sixth on the night. NFTO’s Jon Mould keeps the sprints jersey, with Scully winning the evening’s sprints competition, while Brigg’s last lap effort was enough to snatch the Costa Express Fastest Lap away from Adam Blythe at the death, with a 1’22.924.
Briggs and Scully had escaped midway through the race on the 1.1 kilometre Barrow circuit, slowly eking out a lead despite valiant chase attempts from Andy Tennant and Felix English, and Richard Hepworth and Matthew Gibson.
The latter duo’s effort came closest to reeling them in, with Great Britain rider Gibson taking third ahead of Hepworth, just clear of the chasing peloton led home by Blythe, and then Madison Genesis duo Mike Northey and Tobyn Horton to secure the team victory. With Tennant also in the top 10 it was a comprehensive performance from the team, who had also taken victory in Stoke-on-Trent, to make up for their disappointment in the team time trial event, when spectators had baulked them.
Large crowds had packed the Barrow town centre circuit for the first visit of Britain’s leading team based Series to the Cumbrian town, lining the home straight and filling out all of the corners, on what proved to be a popular, and fast, circuit with an average speed of 42’68kph.
Highlights of the BAE Systems Barrow round will be shown on ITV4 at 8pm on Friday 16th May, with a repeat at 8am on Saturday morning.
Round Three sees The Pearl Izumi Tour Series return to Peterborough after a year’s absence, with the women re-joining the fray for the second Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series event of 2014, on Tuesday 20 May.
The Pearl Izumi Tour Series
Thursday 15 May 2014, Barrow
Round Two Team Result 1) Madison Genesis 2) Rapha Condor JLT 3) Team Raleigh 4) Node4 Velosure 5) Great Britain 6) NFTO Pro Cycling 7) Starley Primal Pro Cycling 8) Metaltek Kuota 9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes
Round Two Individual Result 1) Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT 2) Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis 3) Matthew Gibson, GBR, Great Britain 4) Richard Hepworth, GBR, Node4 Velosure 5) Adam Blythe, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling 6) Mike Northey, NZL, Madison Genesis 7) Tobyn Horton, GBR, Madison Genesis 8) Felix English, IRL, Rapha Condor JLT 9) Yanto Barker, GBR, Team Raleigh 10) Andy Tennant, GBR, Madison Genesis
Round Two Costa Express Fastest Lap: Graham Briggs, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 1’22.924 Round Two Sprint Winner: Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis
Overall Team Standings, post-Round Two 1) Rapha Condor JLT, 30pts 2) Madison Genesis, 29pts 3) NFTO Pro Cycling, 21pts 4) Team Raleigh, 21pts 5) Node4 Velosure, 19pts 6) Great Britain, 18pts 7) Metaltek Kuota, 13pts 8) Starley Primal Pro Cycling, 10pts 9) Pedal Heaven Colbornes, 6pts
Overall Sprint Standings, post-Round Two 1) Jon Mould, GBR, NFTO Pro Cycling, 18pts 2) Kristian House, GBR, Rapha Condor JLT, 13pts 3) Tom Scully, NZL, Madison Genesis, 10pts
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The show will be broadcast around the world, with a special programme in the UK on ITV 4.
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