YORKSHIRE looks likely to host the start of another prestigious cycling race, the Vuelta a Espana, following discussions between the race organisers and Welcome to Yorkshire.

The Spanish race, which is widely regarded as one of the world’s three most important cycling events alongside the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, could be making its way to Yorkshire soon.

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive, Sir Gary Verity, said talks had been on going for “many months” to bring the Vuelta a Espana, or Tour of Spain, to Yorkshire.

The race director, Javier Guillen, arrived in Yorkshire for the Tour de Yorkshire presentation on Wednesday night and left on Friday.

Sir Gary Verity said he had been able to see for himself the “stunning backdrops” and “fantastic crowds” offered in Yorkshire.

A record 2.6m fans watched this year’s Tour de Yorkshire. On Saturday, stage 3 of the route, a total crowd of 650,000 lined the 181km route from Richmond to Scarborough. Stage three winner, Maximillian Walscheid said the “scenery, the people and the weather were all incredible” adding: “The reception we got all day was fantastic – people were standing in many rows.

"I’ve ridden famous races like Paris-Roubaix before but never seen crowds like that. This win was one of the proudest moments of my career.”

The three-week Vuelta usually begins in August, after the Tour de France in July, and has only started outside Spain on three occasions, the first time being in Portugal in 1997.

Yorkshire will also stage the Road World Championships, in September 2019, making it the first British host venue of the event for 37 years.