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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

Background – “Bellringers Herald Cyclists” “Bellringers Herald Cyclists” was a headline event in the 2014 Yorkshire Festival, the prelude to Le Tour de France cycle race in Yorkshire. Church bells featured in the Tour Opening Ceremony, they rang out on the race days and they received widespread coverage on TV, radio and in newspapers. Since then, we have had the Tour de Yorkshire professional bike race each year; a legacy of Le Tour. Yorkshire’s church bells have rung out along the race route for this in 2015 and 2016. We now know the race route for the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire and this document sets out those towers in the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers which are close to the route. Several towers are directly overlooking the race and are very likely to have large crowds outside them. The crowds will be looking for things to do while they wait for the race. Towns and villages typically have widespread festivities throughout the day and many have decorations up for weeks before and after the race. Many churches have held open days on race day. Beverley St Mary, for example, had a mobile belfry in the aisle in 2016 and attracted hundreds of visitors including families and school parties. The Opportunity for 2017 1. As many towers as possible ringing for the race 2. Open days to capitalise on the crowds 3. Possibility of a Yorkshire flag flying from your tower for TV footage (let me know if interested) 4. “Land Art” – other community imagery that looks good from the TV helicopter eg. In fields Where to Find More Information The 2017 Tour de Yorkshire is held over three days – Friday 28th to Sunday 30th April. Maps overleaf. www.BellsAndBikes.com – Dedicated website created to support bellringing for Le Tour de France the Tour de Yorkshire. It includes summaries of ringing for the bike races in 2014, 2015 and 2016 plus some other related news. www.YACR.org.uk – All towers and practice nights, across the whole of Yorkshire. www.letour.yorkshire.com – Race route, maps, timings and advice. http://festival.yorkshire.com – summary of other events in the most recent festival. Be part of it…. Following the success of ringing for the Tour, Rod Ismay wrote a book “Bells and Bikes”. This is on sale via YACR Bookstall, Waterstones, Amazon, over 30 shops (local & national) and direct from Rod. Latest retailer list is available at www.bellsandbikes.com/book Get in touch with Rod by email at rismay @ virgin media . com , by phone 07913 909 787 or via these active hyperlinks to Bells and Bikes on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . Please do take some photos and share them with Rod and the YACR. Rod has had 6 articles published in The Ringing World (with photos) over the course of these events so far.

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

TOWERS ON THE RACE ROUTE

Race timings have not yet been announced as of Jan 2017. However, the men’s race typically starts around 10am and finishes around 4pm. On the Saturday the Women’s race starts first with a couple of hours gap to the Men’s race. On the Sunday there will be a “mass sportive ride” with thousands of people riding a section of the race route starting and finishing in Fox Valley, Stocksbridge.

Time Km Tower Web site

Bells Key Tenor (cwt)

Practice Night

Dist From Road (m)

Pg

STAGE ONE – FRIDAY 28 APRIL MENS RACE

hh:m Bridlington – Priory, St Mary

Click 8 D 25 Tues 250 66 Sc

Great Driffield – All Saints

Click 6 F# 11 Fri 0 51 ER

Pocklington – All Saints

Click 8 E 17 Tues 0 73 Sel

Norton on Derwent – St Peters

Click 8 F 14 (Call) 0 67 Sc

Malton – St Leonards (RC)

Click 8 F 12 ? 50 67 Sc

Pickering – St Peter & St Paul

Click 8 F 13 Weds 100 68 Sc

Whitby – St Mary

Click 10 E 19 Thurs 250 43 CNY

Fylingdales – St Stephen

Click 8 G 11 ? 0 67 Sc

Scarborough – St Mary

Click 10 Eb 20 Weds 150 high 68 Sc

STAGE TWO – SATURDAY 29 APRIL WOMENS RACE DAY and MENS RACE

Tadcaster – St Mary

Click 8 Eb 20 Weds 60 74 Sel

Wetherby – St James

Click 8 G 12 Thurs 30 74 Sel

Kirk Deighton – All Saints

Click 6 G 9 Thurs 0 57 L

Knaresborough – St John The Baptist

Click 8 E 18 Tues 100 58 L

Pateley Bridge – St Cuthbert

Click 8 Db 4 Tues 150 41 CNY

Masham – St Mary The Virgin

Click 10 F# 13 Thurs Tbc 41 CNY

West Tanfield – St Nicholas

Click 6 G 10 Mon 50 43 CNY

Ripon Cathedral – St Peter & St Wilfrid

Click 13 Eb 23 Weds 250 42 CNY

Birstwith – St James The Apostle

Click 8 G 11 Tues 100 56 L

Hampsthwaite – St Thomas a Becket

Click 6 G 10 Mon 250 57 L

Harrogate – St Peter Click 8 F# 12 Fri 50 57 L

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

Time Km Tower Web site

Bells Key Tenor (cwt)

Practice Night

Dist From Road (m)

Pg in YACR

STAGE THREE – SUNDAY 30 APRIL MENS RACE and SPORTIVE DAY

Bradford Cathedral

Click 12 D 25 By arr 150 86 W

Saltaire – United Reform Church

Click 6 Db 4 Mon 150 91 W

Shipley – St Paul Click 8 F 13 Unringable

150 91 W

Ilkley – All Saints

Click 8 E 18 Weds 0 88 W

Addingham – St Peter

Click 6 G 10 Weds 200 85 W

Burnsall – St Wilfrid

Click 6 A 9 Weds 20 86 W

Rylstone – St Peter

Click 3 C 7 By arr 20 91 W

Skipton – Holy Trinity

Click 8 Eb 22 Tues 20 91 W

Kildwick – St Andrew

Click 8 F 15 Weds 350 88 W

Silsden – St James The Great

Click 6 Ab 6 Thurs 400 91 W

Keighley – St Andrew

Click 8 F 16 ? 150 88 W

Haworth – St Michael & All Angels

Click 6 Ab 10 Mon 20 88 W

Oxenhope – St Mary The Virgin

Click 8 F# 12 Weds 300 90 W

Queensbury – Holy Trinity

Click 8 F 14 Sat 300 90 W

Northowram – St Matthew

Click 8 E 15 Tues 0 90 W

Halifax – All Souls (redundant church) Churches Conservation Trust

Click 8 D 25 Limited 100 88 W

Halifax Minster – St John The Baptist

Click 14 D 28 Weds 200 87 W

Brighouse – St Martin

Click 8 F# 12 Fri 100 86 W

Cleckheaton – St John The Evangelist

Click 8 Ab 10 Mon 100 56 L

Birstall – St Peter

Click 8 Eb 22 ? 100 56 L

Holmfirth – Holy Trinity

Click 8 F# 12 ? 50 88 W

Penistone – St Johns

Click 8 F# 14 Thurs 0 31 C

Wortley – St Leonard

Click 8 G 12 Thurs 0 80 Sh

Bolsterstone – St Mary

Click 8 F# 12 Weds 0 77 Sh

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

Time Km Tower Web site

Bells Key Tenor (cwt)

Practice Night

Dist From Road (m)

Pg in YACR

ADDITIONAL TOWERS ROADSIDE ON THE SPORTIVE ROUTE (SUNDAY 30th)

Penistone – St Johns (on Mens Race)

Click 8 F# 14 Thurs 0 31 C

Holmfirth – Holy Trinity (on Mens Race)

Click 8 F# 12 ? 50 88 W

Meltham – St Bartholomew

Click 6 F 12 Thurs 100 90 W

Emley – St Michael the Archangel

Click 6 G 10 Mon 250 29 C

Cawthorne – All Saints

Click 6 G 8 Weds 50 28 C

Silkstone

Click 6 F# 12 Mon 0 31 C

Wortley – St Leonard (on Mens Race)

Click 8 G 12 Thurs 0 80 Sh

Bolsterstone – St Mary (on Mens Race)

Click 8 F# 12 Weds 0 77 Sh

High Bradfield – St Nicholas

Click 8 F 11 Fri 100 77 Sh

Copies of the race route map are in this document, but you can explore the interactive version in more detail on the Tour de Yorkshire website at http://letour.yorkshire.com/2017 Timings assume that the cyclists are racing at an average of 42 km/h.

If they average 38 km/h then they would be expected to arrive at the finish line around 20 minutes

later.

Notes

1. Queensbury website – It is recorded that this parish church possesses the highest peal of

bells in the British Isles.

2. Penistone St Johns – this church was filmed by ITV for the press release in June 2014, that

church bells would ring for the Tour de France Opening Ceremony

3. Masham and Cawthorne – these towers were prerecorded and shown on the big screen in

front of 10,000 people at the Tour de France Opening Ceremony

4. Ripon Cathedral – hosted the Tour 100 Day Dinner in 2014 for the riders and VIPs

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

STAGE 1: FRIDAY 28 APRIL 2017 173KM – BRIDLINGTON TO SCARBOROUGH

Stage One gets underway outside Bridlington Spa and heads into Pocklington for the first intermediate sprint.

The classified climbs up the Côte de Garrowby Hill and Côte de Goathland will get the legs pumping before the

race hits the coastline again at Whitby, and the riders will get a great view of the Abbey as they contest the

second sprint of the day. The route continues on to Robin Hood’s Bay for the third and final climb and then it’s

full steam into Scarborough for the now-legendary finish along North Bay.

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

STAGE 2: SATURDAY 29 APRIL 2017 123KM – TADCASTER TO HARROGATE

On Stage Two, men and women will face exactly the same stage which starts in Tadcaster. The action commences on the newly-reopened Tadcaster Bridge and ventures intoKnaresborough where the first intermediate sprint points are up for grabs. The sole categorised climb comes on the Côte de Lofthouse and then it’s on to Ripon for the second intermediate sprint. The race will skirt Fountains Abbey before a fast approach to Harrogate, and the action will reach its crescendo along Parliament Street, just as it did on the

opening stage of the 2014 Tour de France.

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

STAGE 3: SUNDAY 30TH APRIL 2017 195KM – BRADFORD TO FOX VALLEY, SHEFFIELD

On Stage Three The riders roll out of City Park in Bradford and take in Salts Mill before the start flag is lowered. The action then briefly joins the 2014 Tour de France route atBurley-in-Wharfedale before passing into the Yorkshire Dales. Skipton is the next town on the agenda, with the first of eight categorised climbs being contested on the Côte de Silsden. The next ascent comes on the cobbled rise up Haworth’s picturesque main street and another climb at Leeming must also be tackled before they face the infamousCôte de Shibden Wall. This cobbled brute could see splits form before the final intermediate sprint in Stocksbridge. The riders then

embark on a torturous 22km finishing circuit that features no less than four categorised climbs at Deepcar, Wigtwizzle, Ewden Height and Midhopestones before the race reaches its climax at Fox Valley

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Le Tour de Yorkshire 2017 – Opportunities for Church Bellringing

Analysis of Race Route Towers by Branch of the YACR

Stage

One

Stage

Two

Stage Three

TdY 2017 Total

TdY 2016

TdY 2015

TdF 2014

Central 1 (+3) 1 (+3)

Cleveland and North Yorks 1 4 5

East Riding 1 1

Leeds 5 2 7

Scarborough 6 6

Selby 1 2 3

Sheffield 2 (+1) 2 (+1)

Western 19 (+1) 19 (+1)

York -

9 11 24 (+5) 44 (+5)