'Yorkshire did the Tour of Britain proud' was the message from the founder of a project to promote God's Own County.

George Jabbour, who set up God's Own County, said that the all-round positive experience of the Yorkshire leg can only mean that the Tour of Britain will come back to the region before long.

"We are Yorkshire, which was set up to attract more investment, businesses and visitors, has been campaigning for York to become the location of the new Great British Railways national headquarters. The community initiative has also showcased some of the region's splendid areas and sites, and on Yorkshire Day of this year, it launched a video to celebrate the county.

George, who is a North Yorkshire County Councillor added: "After 13 years, the Tour of Britain had a stage in our county. As a result, viewers from all over the world who were watching the competition have also enjoyed seeing beautiful scenery when cyclists rode across large swathes of Yorkshire".

The Tour brings world class athletes and elite sporting action to areas around the UK each September. It is estimated that the 2021 event was watched by over 10 million people worldwide.

Councillor Jabbour, who represents Helmsley where the finishing line of the Yorkshire leg was, added: "Crowds lined the streets in some of the most stunning places in the UK to cheer the athletes as they passed by Whitby, Robin Hood's Bay, Stokesley and Carlton Bank before completing the race in Helmsley. Aerial footage also showed breath-taking parts of the North York Moors National Park.

"From land art projects and bunting to window dressing competitions and other community activities, the people of Yorkshire passionately and proudly embraced the Tour.

"With the success of this year's Yorkshire stage, I am confident that the Tour of Britain will return to our magnificent region. However, we must build on what we have achieved to ensure that the UK's most prestigious cycling race comes back in the near future."

The Tour of Britain arrived in North Yorkshire today (September 7) – stage four of the race began in Redcar then passed through Whitby before heading into the North York Moors National Park.

The final 30 kilometres featured the demanding climbs of Carlton Bank and Newgate Bank before descending to the finish at Duncombe Park at Helmsley.