June 5, 2018: Following the success of May's Tour de Yorkshire, an event that cemented Skipton's reputation as the cycling gateway to the Dales, the historic market town has launched a dedicated website to attract cycling tourists to Yorkshire.

The Cycle Skipton website features information and links to gala events in the town including July's Skipton Cycle Races, part of the professional National Circuit Series, and Le Petit Depart sportive held last weekend.

For cyclists looking to follow in the tracks of professional riders such as Mark Cavendish and Chris Froome, the Cycle Skipton website offers a choice of package stays with included accommodation. These range from simple one-night cycling and mountain biking stays at the Rendezvous Hotel (£55pp) to two-night treks on the 2014 Grand Depart route of the Tour de France organised by cycling holiday company Trailbrakes (£220pp). For those who want to be challenged by the Dales' undulating roads but fear they may not have the pedal power, a three-night break in partnership with Ikley-based Yorkshire Velo Tours makes use of E-bikes to ensure no hill is left unclimbed. The break costs from £329pp.

Cyclists who want to self-arrange a cycling holiday in the Yorkshire Dales will also find a wealth of information. Cycle-friendly hotels, B&Bs, pubs, restaurants and cafés are listed, as are cycling shops that offer everything from replacement kit, to hire of electric bikes and romantic tandems for two.

Cycle Skipton also features 13 routes in and around the town that cater for a wide range of cycling abilities, from gentle family rides on the towpath of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, to challenging rides mastered by the professionals and that feature some of the county's best climbs. All the routes are searchable by route length and level of difficulty to make choosing an appropriate route easier for visitors. The routes can also be printed, or downloaded as GPX files to be uploaded to sports watches thanks to them all being mapped on athletic activity tracking website Strava.

Geraldine Thompson, manager and director of Skipton Skipton Business Improvement District (BID) which provided funding for the Cycle Skipton site said: “We love welcoming cyclists to Skipton, as can be seen by our wide range of cycling events such as this weekend's Le Petit Depart. The new website will make it much easier for cycling visitors to locate the town's most cycling friendly businesses, find routes to suit their ability and book package holidays that include stays in the town's hotels and B&Bs.”

The launch of Cycle Skipton has benefitted from the support of other local bodies, including Visit Skipton, Skipton Town Council and Craven District Council.

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Press visits are available for journalists with confirmed national or dedicated cycling commissions

A dedicated album of high-res images can be found here

For more information on cycling in Skipton, contact Lyndsey Thomas at All About The Story lyndsey@allaboutthestory.co.uk

About cycling in Skipton

Skipton cemented its place as the heart of Yorkshire Dales cycling at this year's Tour de Yorkshire with the town featuring on the race route for the fourth year running, while it also played host to the 2014 Grand Depart of the Tour de France. Set on the very edge of Yorkshire Dales National Park, it provides easy access to some of the best cycling and mountain biking routes in the country and offers a wide range of cycling-friendly businesses from hotels and cafés, to cycling shops and sports therapists. Other major attractions in the town include award-winning Skipton Market that has been in operation for more than 800 years, medieval Skipton Castle, and boat trips on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

 See https://cycleskipton.co.uk/ and http://welcometoskipton.com/