This year’s next big cycling event is all set to deliver stunning action and even more stunning views

Tour de Yorkshire, from Thursday 3 May, Eurosport 2/HD (CH 524/522)

Think the road cycling season begins and ends with the Tour de France? On yer bike! Each year there are dozens of events in the calendar, and this May Day bank holiday weekend will see the world’s top riders race up the breathtaking hills and down the gorgeous dales of Yorkshire.

The Tour de Yorkshire arose out of the passion for road cycling that developed when the region hosted the opening two stages of the 2014 Tour de France. It was first held in 2015, and this year’s event is the biggest yet, with the men’s race being upgraded from three to four stages and the women’s race doubling to two.

The opening stage will go from Beverley to Doncaster, while the second stage takes the riders from Barnsley to a gruelling summit finish at the Cow and Calf Rocks on Ilkley Moor. At this point the women’s race will end, but the men’s race will heat up with a Saturday sprint from Richmond to Scarborough. Then all that remains to be conquered is Sunday’s brutal final stage, which starts in Halifax, finishes in Leeds and features no less than 3,400m of climbing. Oof.

There are loads of big names expected to be jostling for supremacy in the peloton, with Team Sky leading the British challenge and Kazakhstan’s Astana Pro Team, the USA’s BMC Racing and South Africa’s Team Dimension Data heading the international charge.

World-class riders, huge crowds (over 2.2 million spectators watched the action in 2017), thrilling racing and a sensational atmosphere: what’s not to like?

Tour de Yorkshire, from Thursday 3 May, Eurosport 2/HD (CH 524/522)