This 16th October will see the inaugural Tanfield Tour of Yorkshire take to the roads of the county, created by the highly talented Tanfield brothers, both professional riders as well as former national and world champions in their own rights. The sportive sees 150 riders take on either 47, 115, or 147 km routes, each with Rawvelo feed stations to keep everyone energised and hydrated throughout the day.
We caught up with Harry Tanfield in advance of the event to find out more about the event.
Where did the idea for the Tanfield Tour Of Yorkshire come from?
I had been considering an event, a sportive of some description, in and around the area for a year or two. I think from COVID times when I was just out training at home all the time with my brothers, really exploring and taking in all of the North York moors, it was then I kind of thought this would really be some great roads for a cycling event which is completely under utilised. We started to pull a plan together but with the demands of racing in the season things never progressed to anything more than a good idea really.
What are the growth plans for the event over the coming years?
We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but we would love for the event to become an annual occasion, something everyone looks forward to as the end of the season approaches. It's pretty much one of the last events on the calendar but with the relaxed atmosphere and post event BBQ / drinks etc we are hoping that the event is more than just a sportive, it’s a fun day out for all! Even for those who just want to come to the post ride atmosphere.
Could you tell us a bit more about the charitable links you have and of the ride?
So over the last few years I have had the chance to work with a few charities, fundraising through participation in events or donating personal items for raffles. I thought the event would be a great cause to give something back to these charities - Yorkshire Cancer Research and Yorkshire Air Ambulance - which give so much to people. Crucially, they both help to save lives and without financial support from the public, they cannot continue in the way they do.
Key route highlights?
I thought pretty hard about my 2020 summer lockdown training where I really went exploring to discover as many new roads as I could. So I guess you could say the routes really take in the best from this, as well as the classic staples which I think most people from the area take for granted. Roads that have been ridden in Tour of Yorkshire stages in the past too. Anyone not from the area, I am sure will be pretty amazed with the scenery we have in the North York Moors.
The routes themselves don’t cover the easiest terrain but with the three routes to choose from, plus well-stocked feedstations in partnership with Rawvelo, there’s hopefully an option for everyone! Kids will most likely be faster than their parents over the hills anyways. We are trying to encourage family participation and offering half price entry for all under 18’s.
Besides the route, we’ll have, then at the end we’ll be hosting a post-event BBQ and charity raffle which I’m sure will be really fun and a great way to share stories from the day and to meet others.
Both myself and Charlie will be riding on the day and we hope people will want to join us, chat along the way and enjoy the day.
Who’s been doing most of the organising, you or your brother?!
Errr myself! Charlie still has quite a lot on his plate with training for the upcoming UCI Track World Championships in October. Although I’m getting a lot of assistance from my friend Harvey at Healthy Living Fitness who’s helping to organise the event.
--
Good luck to Harry and the team for what’s got all the hallmarks of being a great event in an absolutely stunning backdrop to ride a bike. We’re looking forward to seeing all the riders on the day.
For more details on the event and to sign up, visit www.tanfieldtourofyorkshire.com.
