A FREE party to herald the first three-day Tour de Yorkshire international cycling race is set to take place in York.

The Eve of Tour Celebration will be hosted by cycling broadcaster OJ Borg and will feature entertainment, music and celebrities from the world of cycling.

The event, on Thursday, April 30 at the Eye of York, will start at 6pm with Alistair Griffin performing the anthem he wrote for last year’s Grand Départ of the Tour de France, The Road.

The race will start the following day, just after 11.30am, at Bridlington and the first of three stages will see riders pass over the North York Moors and along the North Yorkshire coast, before a sprint finish in Scarborough.

The second stage will conclude in York, on Knavesmire.

The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Ian Gillies, said: “Last year’s Grand Départ of the Tour de France was a huge success for both the City of York and Yorkshire as a whole, so to welcome yet more international cycling back to the city is absolutely fantastic.

"It promises to be an incredible spectacle, and I’m delighted the city is hosting this historic Eve of Tour celebration.”

For details, visit letouryorkshire.com