THE community in Pickering is pulling out all the stops to make the Tour de Yorkshire a day to remember for the town.

The race will pass through Pickering on Friday, along the A170 to the first intermediate sprint point just past The Sun Inn and then on through the rest of the town to Middleton and beyond.

Cyclists are expected to pass through at about 1.30pm, with entertainment planned for the rest of the afternoon.

The Market Place will be closed between 2pm and 8pm, with music from David Swan and local acoustic bands playing. People are being encouraged to take along a picnic.

There will also be a selection of stalls from community groups, along with a large television screen.

From 10.30am to 3pm, Pickering Parish Church will be joining in the celebrations, serving refreshments.

The church bells will be rung between 1.30pm and 2pm to herald the cyclists as they make their way through the streets.

William Oxley, from the Welcome to Pickering business group, said: “With a large screen in the Market Place, live entertainment and stalls then sticking around in Pickering makes great sense.

“We hope that everybody brings a picnic tea and a chair and watches the rest of the race unfold on the big screen while listening to some great bands.”

William said there was also a cake theme to the activities.

He said: “There is a strong link between cyclists and cake and we will working the link with Pickering becoming the Capital of the Capital of Cake on May.

“There will be huge cake stall in the Market Place alongside the other stalls and emphasis very much on cake along with the music and entertainment.”

Mr Oxley, who is also chairman of the Ryedale Tourism Advisory Board, said: “Ryedale has hosted the Tour of Britain and international mountain biking events in the past.

“The Tour de Yorkshire provides another superb opportunity for local businesses, towns and villages to work together to promote the area throughout the weekend and as a premiere destination for visiting cyclists in the future.”