THE chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire has promised that the third instalment of the Tour de Yorkshire this coming weekend should be the best yet.

Sir Gary Verity added that he was delighted with the quality of the competitors set to take part.

He said: “It is exciting to be able to unveil this first wave of big-name riders and the strength of this list demonstrates how highly the Tour de Yorkshire is regarded.

“The third edition will be the biggest and best one yet, and with World Champions, Olympic Gold Medallists and Grand Tour stage winners on the start list, we can guarantee three days of great racing.

“Yorkshire is already gearing up to celebrate the race with banners, bunting and giant land art projects springing up right across the county, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone.”

He added that this year's publicity caravan travelling ahead of the cyclists would be a big attraction in itself.

He said: “The publicity caravan is a fantastic way to gear the crowds up ahead of the race, and we’re thrilled to see it has tripled in size after the popularity of the 2016 event.

“We’ve got some of the county’s best-loved brands taking part, as well as the official Tour de Yorkshire artist, Lucy Pittaway."