THE full route for next year's Tour de Yorkshire has been unveiled.

At a press conference this morning, Yorkshire Chief Executive Sir Gary Verity confirmed that the fifth edition of the men's race will take place between May 2-May 5.

The women's Asda Tour de Yorkshire was also unveiled, running from May 3-May 4 and will follow both stage two and three of the men's route.

Stage one of the men's race, The Heritage stage, will begin in Doncaster before heading towards Beverley.

On the way the riders will pass Cowick Hall and Howden Minster, and the first intermediate sprint will be contested in Elloughton before the peloton sweeps into Beverley.

Not long after they will reach the Yorkshire Wolds and tackle the first classified climb at Baggaby Hill before a brisk descent into Pocklington for a second intermediate sprint. The pace will continue to rise on the brisk approach to Selby where the action will reach a conclusion right outside Selby Abbey, which is celebrating its 950th anniversary next year.

Stage two, the world stage, will see the riders pass through Harrogate, tackling the same circuit used at the at the 2019 Road World Championships.

An intermediate sprint has been added along Parliament Street where the Championship finish line will be, meaning the riders can hone their tactics in preparation for September.

Once that loop has been concluded the stage continues north through Ripon and it’s full steam into Bedale for an expected bunch sprint in the centre of the Yorkshire Dales town.

On Saturday, May 4, the riders will begin stage three, the Yorkshire Coast, in Bridlington, heading into the North Yorkshire national park. After passing through Whitby the competitors will drop into Scarborough and along the South Bay. It is here that the Winner of the Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women's race will be crowned.

On the final day, the riders will begin stage four, The Yorkshire Classic in Halifax, crossing into Craven before entering Leeds. The final climb in Otley will run down along the Headrow into the city centre where the finish line will be waiting.

Sir Gary Verity DL, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:  "With the UCI Road World Championships also taking place in Yorkshire next year, we’re expecting our strongest-ever field. This will be the only chance the riders get to sample the Harrogate circuit under race conditions before it, and the only chance they get to ride up Parliament Street against the usual flow of traffic.

"I’m also proud that we’re continuing to lead the way when it comes to promoting women’s cycling. Changing the start of the women’s race from Thursday to Friday should guarantee greater exposure and the routes for the two stages are now exactly the same as the men’s. That means there’s over 1,000m more cumulative climbing than last year and we’ll be in for some enthralling racing."

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “Today’s route announcement for the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire is fantastic news for the East Riding, with our area getting not just one but two days of racing.

“It is really exciting to see so many new locations on the route for next year and will give even more of our residents the chance to see some of the world’s top cyclists competing right on their doorstep.

“With the event growing in popularity year-on-year, I am sure communities will again get right into the spirit of things, decorate their towns and villages and line the streets to cheer on the riders.

“The race gives us the chance to showcase the East Riding to audiences both at home and abroad and to put it on the map as a must-visit destination.

“The council is also proud to announce that it has secured its long-term involvement in the Tour de Yorkshire for a further three years – guaranteeing a stage start or finish in the area until 2022.”