LIZZIE Deignan is the latest star name to be joining Welcome to Yorkshire at their annual showcase, Y18, later this month.

Deignan – a former world cycling champion, Olympic silver medallist and winner of last year’s Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race, joins a high-profile line-up for the UK’s biggest onstage tourism event at Bradford’s iconic Alhambra Theatre on Wednesday, March 21.

The 29-year-old, from Otley, will appear onstage to talk all things cycling, including the rise of the Tour de Yorkshire, the 2019 UCI Road World Championships and the all new Cycle Expo Yorkshire.

The Expo which is the county’s newest and biggest cycle show, at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate from October 12-14 , will welcome 20,000 cycling fans who will see races, competitions and exhibitors covering all cycling disciplines, from BMX to triathlon, road racing to cross country.

Deignan said: "This is a hugely exciting year and I’m delighted to be appearing on stage at Y18. To see the Asda Tour de Yorkshire women’s race doubling in size is just fantastic for our sport.

"I’m also honoured to be flying the flag for Cycle Expo Yorkshire which is such an amazing opportunity for the region. I’m so proud that my home county is becoming a global destination for cycling. This is where I learned to ride my bike, where I started training and where cyclists come from far and wide to experience Yorkshire’s beautiful scenery.”

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire said: "We’re delighted Lizzie will be joining us at our Y18 event. She is a sporting icon who is flying the flag for Yorkshire on a global scale. Y18 is shaping up to be our biggest and best tourism celebration yet and we look forward to welcoming more than a thousand people to the Alhambra to share lots of exciting news for our county for the year ahead."

Y18 is free to attend and open to both Welcome to Yorkshire members and non-members.

Book your tickets at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/y18-conference-yorkshire-on-show-registration40181175979

Tickets for the Cycle Expo Yorkshire are on sale at www.cycleexpo.co.uk.