Leyburn is gearing up for a day of live entertainment and cycling action when the Lloyds Tour of Britain comes to town on Saturday.
The market town will host the finish of Stage Four of the men’s Tour of Britain on Saturday, September 5, the first time Leyburn has hosted a finish of the modern race.
Riders will start in Helmsley at 11am before travelling through North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales, with the stage expected to be one of the toughest and potentially most decisive of this year’s race.
A programme of entertainment has now been announced to keep spectators entertained in Leyburn while they wait for the world’s top cyclists to arrive.
The action will be shown on a big screen from the 11am start, while entertainment gets underway with Dales Dance and Lilo Bako on the main stage between 11.15am and noon.
Light My Choir will perform in the Market Place from noon until 12.30pm, followed by The Untitled, BlueBoxt soloists and The Colin Bailey Band until 1.15pm.
Leyburn Band will then take to the main stage from 1.20pm until 2pm, before Dales Community Pop Choir performs in the Market Place from 2pm until 2.30pm.
Attention will then turn firmly to the cycling, with the programme indicating the race finish is expected between 2.45pm and 3.30pm, although timings are subject to change.
Following the finish, The Colin Bailey Band will return to the Market Place from 3.30pm until 4pm, ahead of the podium presentations at 4pm.
Activities and refreshments will also be available throughout the day.
The entertainment forms part of wider celebrations taking place along the North Yorkshire route, with £9,178 in community funding shared between 14 towns and villages to help stage activities and decorate communities.
Leyburn Town Council chair Cllr Alison Littlewood-Laws said the funding would help create “a real sense of occasion” and allow residents and visitors to enjoy being part of the prestigious event.
Spectators travelling into Leyburn are being encouraged to plan ahead. Designated visitor parking will be available at Wensleydale Rugby Club, the Show Field on Bellerby Road and a field opposite Tennants on Harmby Road. A special Wensleydale Railway park-and-ride service will also operate between Leeming Bar, Bedale and Leyburn, with a free shuttle connecting Leyburn Station with the town centre.
Market Place, Harmby Road and Railway Street will be closed from 6am until 7pm on Saturday, with further closures affecting the A684 and A6108 around Leyburn during the afternoon.
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