Tour de Yorkshire 2020 stage to finish on the The Headrow in Leeds

Some of the best cyclists in the world will be tearing up Otley Chevin before sweeping past Kirkstall Abbey and finally sprinting to the finish line in Leeds city centre on Sunday, May 3.

The full routes for the 2020 Tour de Yorkshire and Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race were unveiled at Leeds Civic Hall on Friday morning.

Both routes will be the toughest in the history of the race and feature more climbing than ever before, including the Buttertubs Pass and Grinton Moor in the Yorkshire Dales – both making their first appearances since the 2014 Tour de France – and the return of the cobbled Shibden Wall in Calderdale.

The Tour de Yorkshire Sportive - where amateur riders get to cycle the route after the pros - will start and finish in Leeds on the same day.

The Tour de Yorkshire was launched in 2015 as a legacy of the 2014 Grand Départ.

The sixth edition of the men’s race will take place between April 30 – May 3 and forms part of the inaugural UCI ProSeries.

It encompasses all four corners of the county and takes in 160 villages, towns and cities along the way.

The Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race meanwhile, runs between May 1-2 and will once again be one of the most lucrative races in the sport.

New Welcome to Yorkshire Chief Executive James Mason and the Amaury Sport Organisation’s Tour de France Director Christian Prudhomme made the announcement on Friday.

Dame Sarah Storey and Skipton’s Pete Williams were among the professional riders in attendance, with Otley's Lizzie Deignan and reigning men’s champion Chris Lawless sending in special video messages from Majorca and Australia respectively.

Councillor Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: "I’m absolutely delighted that Leeds has been chosen to host the big finale of this year’s Tour de Yorkshire.

"Each year this exciting sporting event gets bigger and better and helps to put our region firmly on the map, both nationally and internationally.

"I’m sure people in communities across Leeds will once again create another brilliant and unforgettable atmosphere when the tour arrives next year and I hope it inspires more people in Leeds to take up cycling themselves."

James Mason, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: "It’s exciting for me to be involved with the Tour de Yorkshire for the very first time and this year’s routes look fantastic.

"Many of our county’s iconic climbs are included, and we’re particularly pleased to see Buttertubs and Grinton Moor making appearances after they were unfortunately cut from the World Championships route on account of the weather last September.

"Seeing the men and women tackle Shibden Wall will also be special, and we’re delighted to be bringing the race to so many new places as well.

"We’re lucky to have such a diversity of landscapes here in Yorkshire and these races will have something for every type of rider. I’m really looking forward to it and I’m sure we’re in for some really exciting action."

Christian Prudhomme, ASO’s Tour de France Director, said: "Once again, the team at Welcome to Yorkshire have done a tremendous job in designing such a beautiful, challenging and varied route and I am looking forward to seeing how both races play out.

"They are both harder than ever before, and when you factor in the millions of fans that will be lining the route, we know that the 2020 edition will be one to remember."