Bradford district gears up for the Tour de Yorkshire

The Cow and Calf Rocks in Ilkley will be the scene of the first summit finish in Tour de Yorkshire history, when riders in both the men’s and women’s races tackle Stage Two on Friday 4 May.

The UCI-approved 2.1 Europe Tour international cycle race also visits Oxenhope, Haworth, Oakworth and Laycock on Stage Four on Sunday 6 May when the professional cyclists will take on Cote de Goose Eye.

Stage Two of the Women’s Race is expected to reach the Bradford district at Ilkley between 12.15pm and 12.36pm and finish at the Cow and Calf rocks between 12.21pm and 12.44pm.

The men’s race is expected to reach the Bradford district between 5.42pm and 6.01pm and finish at the Cow and calf Rocks between 5.48pm and 6.07pm.

A publicity parade called ‘the caravan’ will travel ahead of the men’s race on Friday and is expected to reach the Cow and Calf at around 4.57pm.

Stage Four of the race will also visit the district on Sunday 6 May, where it is expected to reach Oxenhope between 12.51pm and 12.54pm, Haworth between 12.54pm and 12.58pm, Oakworth between 12.59pm and 1.03pm, Laycock between 1.03pm and 1.07pm. The riders are expected to tackle the climb at Cote de Goose Eye between 1.05pm and 1.10pm.

The caravan for Stage Four won’t be stopping in the district but will travel the route around 2.5 hours before the race.

So that the organisers of the event can put the infrastructure in place, there will be a series of road closures.

To get the Cow and Calf ready, several roads will be closed on Thursday (3 May) night. Cowpasture Road in Ilkley from the roundabout at Ben Rhydding Road all the way through to Moor Lane at Burley Woodhead will be closed from 10pm. Access for residents will be maintained, however people will need to plan their routes carefully as there will be no access at all between the Cow and Calf Hotel and Cow and the Calf Café on Hangingstone Road.

Due to limited space at the race finish there will be no parking on Moor Road. This area will be needed for official vehicles and the emergency services. Denton Bridge will also be closed from 9pm. These road closures will also be in place throughout the event on Friday.

Between 5am and 10pm on Friday 4 May road closures on The Grove, the rest of Cowpasture Road, Brook Street, Springs Lane (from Tesco to Station Road), Station Road and Keighley Road (the green lane over the moor) will also be in place.  Full access should be available to all residents and businesses before 5am and after 10pm on the day.

A temporary speed limit of 20pmh will be in place on the A65 between Bath Street and Victoria Avenue for the duration of the event to protect spectators, competitors, visitors and support vehicles.

Ilkley Lido will be closed throughout the event and the car park will also be closed to public parking.

For Stage Four of the race on Sunday, road closures will be in place between 7am and 3pm on Brow Road, Haworth (between Victoria Road and Bridgehouse Lane), Main Street in Haworth, Changegate in Haworth, Mackinginstone Lane in Oakworth, Holme House Lane in  Laycock, Goose Eye in Laycock and Game Scar Lane in Laycock.

Roads will be closed either by the Police using motorcycle officers, Bradford Council Officers or Cobra Traffic Management. All roads will have stewards available to help where possible.

The remainder of the race will move through the district in a mobile road closure “bubble” using a Police outrider escort. All temporary closures should last for a maximum of 40 minutes; however this will be dependent on the day's race pace. Drivers approaching the rear of the race should not attempt to overtake the escort vehicles under any circumstances.

People are advised to plan their journeys in advance and allow extra time for possible delays.

To make the race route as safe as possible and allow spectators a better view, residents and visitors are asked to park vehicles off the main race route. Vehicles parked on the route during the event may be searched by security services and could be removed without warning.

Residents along the race route are also being advised to make sure that wheelie bins are not left out on the day of the race, for safety reasons.

The bus station in Ilkley will be relocated to Grove Road (opposite the memorial garden) due to the road closures. Bus operators will run normal services throughout the race however some routes may change slightly due to road closures.

The Council has written to residents and businesses on the race route to let them know about road closures and parking restrictions, as well as contacting taxi operators and liaising with bus companies so that they can also make plans for the day. Signs have gone up across the district to remind people of the delays that they may experience on the race days.

Spectators planning to watch the finishes of the races at the Cow and Calf Rocks are advised that only pedestrians and cyclists will be able to access the finish area. The finish is approximately 1.5 miles walk or cycle up a steep hill from the town centre. There will be no access for public vehicles.

Because the Tour de Yorkshire takes place at a critical breeding time for protected birds and animals there will be no public access to the top of the Cow and Calf Rocks and Quarry on Ilkley Moor throughout the day.

Spectators are also being advised to stick to the main paths and avoid walking through vegetated areas, keep dogs on leads and do not allow them to disturb nesting birds or livestock, take care with cigarettes and matches to avoid the risk of wildfire, stay away from areas that are fenced off, such as carved rock monuments, breeding areas and cliff and quarry edges.

Phil Barker, Assistant Director for Sport and Culture, said: “So the race can pass safely through the district and everyone has a great time watching this spectacular event in safety, we ask that people plan ahead and have patience on the day.

“If you are planning to watch the race think about where you will watch from, how you will get there, where you may be able to park once you are there and how you will get home again.

“If you’ve got other plans for when the race comes through, have a look at the race route and the timings and plan your journey in advance.

“Your patience and co-operation on the day is really appreciated and once the race has passed through we will get things back to normal as soon as we can.”For information about the route of the Tour de Yorkshire in the Bradford district visit https://www.bradford.gov.uk/sport-and-activities/tour-de-yorkshire/tour-de-yorkshire-2018-stages-2-and-4/