Tour de Yorkshire route 2020: full route revealed

The full route for the 2020 Tour de Yorkshire has been announced, it has since been postponed due to the global pandemic. no new dates have been released as of yet.

The four stages of the men's race and two stages of the women's race have been unveiled at the Civil Hall in Leeds, with a hilly parcours set to once again entertain fans with spectacular racing.

Stage one of the men's race makes its way from Beverley to Redcar, taking in the climbs of Hooks House Farm and Lythe Bank.

Skipton hosts the start of stage two and culminates in Leyburn, with riders set to tackle Buttertubs and Grinton Moor en route - an exciting prospect after both climbs were removed from the men's World Championship road race last year because of the weather. This stage will also provide the first of the stages in the women's race, who will race exactly the same route.

Stage three for the men begins in Barnsley and finishes in Huddersfield, with the latter featuring in the race for the first time ever. The final day of the women's race will follow a similar course but will be 20km shorter than the men's route on this stage due to UCI regulations and will feature slightly less climbing as a result.

The final stage four, known as the 'Yorkshire classic', runs from Halifax's Piece Hall for a third year to Leeds and will feature the most climbing of any Tour de Yorkshire stage in history, totalling over 3,000m.

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The 2020 Tour de Yorkshire will run from April 30 to May 3, with the women's race taking place on May 1 and May 2.

Speaking at the Yorkshire route unveiling, Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme said: "It will be tough, hard and challenging for women and men. It will be demanding but it's Yorkshire. Steep climbs, iconic climbs."

Stage one: Beverley to Redcar (176.5km)

Stage one will depart from Beverley and finish in Redcar, which organisers are calling the 'Yorkshire coast' stage. Along the route, it will feature categorised climbs at Hooks House Farm and Lythe Bank, with 1,718m of climbing over the 176.5km course.

Stage two: Skipton to Leyburn (124.5km)

Stage two departs from Skipton with the finish line situated in Leyburn, the 'Three Peaks' stage. As well as the men's second stage, the same 124.5km route will be used as the first stage of the women's race. Featuring both Buttertubs and Grinton Moor climbs, the stage features 1,747m of uphill.

Stage three: Barnsley to Huddersfield (134km/114km)

Barnsley will host the start of stage three, the third time in three years the town has hosted a start or finish in the British stage race. The stage will then end in a brand new location for the race, Huddersfield. Christened the 'heritage stage', once again the route will also provide the women's race with their second and final stage, with the women's stage being 114km long and the men's 134km.

The men's stage features 2,863m of climbing, including six ascents, with the women's race featuring only slightly less uphill racing. The climbs are Netherthong, Scapegoat Hill, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Leeming and Shibden Wall, the cobbled climb that is only featuring for the second time.

Stage four: Halifax to Leeds (177.5km)

Known as the 'Yorkshire classic', which will run for the third year in a row, the final stage will start in Halifax and finish in Leeds. Organisers say it's the toughest day in the race, featuring seven classified climbs totalling 3,304m of climbing, the most that has ever been included in a single stage of the race. The 177.5km route takes in the ascents of Goose Eye, Barden Moor, Skyreholme, Lofthouse, Greenhow Hill, Cow and Calf and Otley Chevin. The race will also pass through Skipton for the second time in three days.

This edition of the Tour de Yorkshire route will take in eight host locations including Halifax, Barnsley, Huddersfield and Leeds.

>>> Tour de Yorkshire 2020: latest news

It will be a return to Yorkshire for many riders who contested the 2019 World Championships course, with the men's road race won by Dane, Mads Pedersen.

The 2020 Tour de Yorkshire will form part of the inaugural UCI ProSeries, which operates one level below the WorldTour calendar.