IT WAS the Tour de France that really put Yorkshire on the cycling map. Yes, there were cycling clubs aplenty in the county before that.

And York already prided itself as a cycling city.

But the stunning aerial footage of the world’s finest cyclists streaming through the glorious Yorkshire landscape which was beamed around the world in 2014 set the seal on the county’s reputation as a cycling destination.

It is a reputation that has grown steadily ever since, thanks in part to one of the great legacies of the Tour de France - the annual Tour de Yorkshire.

Each year, this new race has grown in popularity.

The route of this year’s event didn’t actually pass through York. But it came pretty close on more than one occasion - most notably when one of the legs started on Tadcaster’s re-opened bridge.

A record 2.2 million spectators lined the county’s streets for the three days of the event, and independent research suggested the race had boosted the county’s coffers to the tune of £64 million.

Already, the race has established itself as a leading event on the annual professional cycling calendar.

And cycling’s world governing body the UCI has now confirmed that when it returns next May the race will be extended from three days to four. The women’s race will also be bigger and better.

This is wonderful news. We know not everyone is a fan of cycling. But events such as the Tour de Yorkshire are a top-class sporting spectacle. And because of the way cycling road races are filmed, they offer Yorkshire the perfect chance to show off its breathtaking landscapes.

There will be many winners. Yorkshire’s economy, of course. But also the countless thousands of local people who love watching the spectacle that is professional cycling.