The countdown is on for this year’s Tour de Yorkshire and here at York House Holiday Park we are getting set to join in the action as the best cyclists in the world race past our doorstep for the first time.

Getting inspiration from this year’s Tour, residents at our holiday homes will be enjoying a spin and staging a cycling event of their very own.

The Tour de York House bike ride starts at 10am on Saturday 5th May and participants will cycle a circular route of approximately 18 miles starting at York House Holiday Park through the picturesque North York Moors heading to Dalton, Topcliffe, Busby Stoop, Thirsk and Sowerby.

You don’t need to be a cycling pro to join in the fun as it’s reasonably flat and includes a pit stop along the way. This year’s event is just for residents (with a few from our sister site, Old Hall, making the trip to join us), but plans are afoot to open it up to the whole local community in future.

Later in the day, residents will be supporting the professional cyclists in the Tour de Yorkshire as they undertake Stage 3 of the race from Richmond to Scarborough which includes the Sutton Bank climb.

The Old Barn Coffee Shop on our site in Balk, near Thirsk, is just a stone’s throw from the route of this Stage and is a great place to stop off for refreshments. We offer a choice of sandwiches, paninis and packed lunches – plus there is free parking on site.

Cycling fans and cyclists following the Tour can be sure of a warm welcome – we even have space for groups if you book ahead. There’s always a great atmosphere on race day as we celebrate this colourful event in the Yorkshire cycling calendar.

It really is a sporting spectacle to behold with banners, bunting, street decorations and fantastic crowds. This year, eye-catching land art pieces created by businesses, landowners, farmers, schools and community groups will be on display and beamed to millions of TV viewers around the world.

And not forgetting, some of the sport’s highest profile figures will be racing, including Mark Cavendish. His team-mate Serge Pauwels will also be back to defend his title.

Here at York House Leisure, we are looking forward to all the action unfolding as we support this year’s Tour de Yorkshire. The location of our holiday lodges on the edge of the North York Moors makes them a perfect base for cyclists looking to challenge themselves or simply enjoy this most dramatic of landscapes.

The Tour de Yorkshire starts at Beverley on Thursday 3rd May and will cover 700km, finishing in Leeds on Sunday 6th May.