SOME of the best road cyclists in the world will be racing through Ryedale on May 1, it has been announced today.

World and Olympic champions, world-record-holders, Grand Tour and Monument winners are among the names to race in the men’s and women’s Tour de Yorkshire.

Sir Bradley Wiggins will return with his Team Wiggins teammates. Last year’s winner, Team Sky’s Lars Petter Nordhaug, will also be racing again, as well as Pete Kennaugh, current British road champion, and Luke Rowe.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “In just our second edition we have attracted some incredible riders with great depth and experience, and I’m delighted with how many riders are making a return to Yorkshire from the 2014 Tour de France and 2015 Tour de Yorkshire."

There will be a strong Yorkshire contingent, particularly in the men's race, with ten riders from the county. These include:

  • Russ Downing, Graham Briggs and Tom Moses for JLT Condor
  • Frazer Clacherty, Gabriel Cullaigh and Oliver Wood for the Great Britain team
  • Tom Stewart for Madison Genesis
  • Liam Holohan for Team Wiggins
  • Josh Edmondson for NFTO
  • Pete Williams, Skipton resident, for One Pro Cycling

Australian team Orica GreenEDGE will bring British rider Adam Yates as well as Mathew Hayman, who cycling fans will recognise as the winner of this year’s Paris-Roubaix.

The team will also be bringing Australian National Criterium champion Caleb Ewan.

Other big names include:

  • former hour record-holder Rohan Dennis for BMC
  • Ben Hermans who won Stage 3 of the Tour de Yorkshire last year
  • Cofidis rider Nicolas Edet (winner of the overall King of the Mountain classification in 2015)
  • Thomas Voeckler from Direct Energie
  • Tour de France stage winner Steve Cummings and Bernie Eisel for Dimension Data
  • Warren Barguil, Bert De Backer and Koen de Kort for Giant Alpecin.

The Asda Women’s Tour de Yorkshire, with a new format and 135 km route from Otley to Doncaster, will be led by World Champion and Otley-born Lizzie Armitstead.

Also racing are some top female riders including:

  • British Olympian Danielle King riding for Wiggle High5
  • Kirsten Wild and the Hitec Products squad
  • Shelley Olds racing with Cylance Pro-Cycling

The race will also see the return of 2015 winner Louise Mahé with Les Filles Racing Team and Dame Sarah Storey OBE, racing with her Podium Ambition Pro-Cycling Powered By Club La Santa team.