Post-Grand Depart plans for thousands of knitted Tour de France jerseys

Ellie Wilkinson and Val Sinclair stringing together knitted jerseys before they were hung around Harrogate for the Grand Depart weekend. Picture Bruce Rollinson

Thousands of knitted miniature Tour de France jerseys that decorated Harrogate district for the Grand Depart are set to be recycled.

Thanks to contributions from all over the world, around 23,500 knitted jerseys were hung around the area for July 5 and 6 and most are to remain in place until September.

The jerseys will then be collected by Harrogate Borough Council’s parks team, although many have already been taken by the public as mementos of the historic race’s visit.

Coun Phil Ireland, cabinet member with responsibility for parks, said: “None of us anticipated just how special this project would turn out to be or how much interest it would generate worldwide.

“On behalf of the council, I would like to thank every one of those people who knitted the jersey bunting or helped string it, and those who entered into the festival spirit.”

He said many jerseys will be stitched into blankets for charities such as OXFAM.