Verity’s high hopes for Tour after great opening day

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity is confident that this is just the beginning for the Tour de Yorkshire.
Tour de Yorkshire .The crowds near the finish line at North Bay. pic Richard Ponter 151726jTour de Yorkshire .The crowds near the finish line at North Bay. pic Richard Ponter 151726j
Tour de Yorkshire .The crowds near the finish line at North Bay. pic Richard Ponter 151726j

Top-class riders from all across the globe were treated to sun-drenched conditions and cracking crowds as they snaked their way through the 174k-long first stage from Bridlington, through Ryedale and then on to Scarborough via Whitby.

And with the inaugural event just a few hours old, the powers that be are already looking to build on a hugely impressive beginning.

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Verity said: “And so it starts. But we want to make it even bigger and even better, we have so many ideas.

“The first stage was absolutely unbelievable. We couldn’t have dreamt that after the success of the Tour de France we’d see anything like it again, but we did.

“The police are estimating a crowd of around 250,000 over the full day. Whitby was packed, Pickering was amazing and then you came to Scarborough, and what can you say?

“I was left speechless by the fact that small hamlets and villages had all the bunting out. Nobody asked them to do it.

“The effort they made and the pride they have in their places and the race itself was just so Yorkshire.”