YORKSHIRE is gearing up for the start of “the biggest cycling event in Britain this year”.

The inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, created as a direct legacy of last year’s hugely successful Grand Depart to the Tour de France, gets under way with an opening stage from Bridlington to Scarborough today before tomorrow’s stage from Selby to York.

“It’s not the Tour de France, obviously,” said Gary Verity, the chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire.

“We know it will be nowhere near as big, but it will still be big. A lot of people are saying it will be the biggest cycling event in Britain this year, and I’m sure that’s true.”

Verity was the man who spearheaded the bid to bring the Tour de France to Yorkshire last year.

The wild success of that event, and the strength of the relationship he quickly built with Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme, led to Tour organisers ASO committing to a ten-year partnership to organise a new race in Yorkshire.

Last year’s Tour route was weighted heavily in favour of the Yorkshire Dales, but this race shifts the focus eastwards, certainly for the first two days as it takes in Yorkshire’s coastline and the North York Moors, where there are plans for the peloton to race alongside a steam train winding its way through the stunning scenery.

Sunday’s stage three then sees a return to many of the roads featured last year as the riders race them in reverse from Wakefield to Leeds.

“I think we’ll get a big crowd but I can’t say how many this year,” Verity said. “It will depend on the weather, but a lot of people in this part of the world who didn’t get the Tour coming through their towns, over by the coast, this is their chance and I think you’ll see huge crowds out in Bridlington, Whitby and Scarborough, and out on the climbs in the Moors, you’ll see a lot of people out.”

York, which hosted a ceremonial start last year but no real racing, is the focal point this time around.

Tomorrow’s second stage will see the riders complete three laps of a circuit around the historic city, while there will be a women’s race on the same streets in the morning to provide a complete day’s entertainment.

The economic impact of the Tour de France last year was estimated at around £100 million for the Yorkshire economy. This year, Verity is predicting something in the region of £30 million to 40 million.

“We are organising a race because there is a big demand for it,” he said.

“We have a ten-year commitment but the intention is we keep going in perpetuity, but that will depend on everyone still loving cycling in ten years time. It has grown in popularity hugely.”

Verity has no shortage of ambition and there is already talk - and government backing - for the idea of attracting cycling’s World Championships to the region. But for now Verity is looking no further than this weekend.

“This race has an importance in view of (attracting the world championships) but most of all it’s important in its own right,” he said.

“From the point of view of Yorkshire and growing the economy here and the culture of cycling, this has to be a successful event.”