A TOWN is planning to capitalise on 2017’s Tour of Yorkshire - and some of its hotel businesses have already seen bookings.

Pickering is on the route for stage one of the three-day cycle tour, to take place on April 28. The 173km stage will see the cyclists ride north through Malton and Kirby Misperton before passing through Pickering up to Whitby.

Neil Armstrong, chairman of the Pickering in Business group, said: “We’re very pleased. For me it’s better than the last year it came through because it’s going south to north so it’s a better route through Pickering.”

He said that the effects of the route announcement were already being felt, particularly among the town’s hotels and inns. “People have already had bookings,” he said.

Mr Armstrong added that the Pickering in Business group will be making plans and preparations over the next few months about decorations for the town.

According to Welcome to Yorkshire, last year’s race attracted two million spectators and generated £60m for the Yorkshire economy.