AFTER the Tour de Yorkshire comes the Tour de Hemlington.

The Tour which came to Middlesbrough last Sunday has been hailed a success and now the inaugural Tour de Hemlington will take place Sunday, May 8.

The bike race in the Middlesbrough suburb will be the culmination of a week of activities including bike rides, a 5km fun run, a community stroll, baking competition, a ‘bike doctor’ surgery and youth disco.

The event, organised by local Ward Councillors Nicky Walker and Jeanette Walker, Hemlington Linx, Taylor Wimpey, Swift-Tees and Hemlington Recreation Centre staff, is open to all, from cyclists, runners and walkers to dog walkers and those pushing buggies.

Based around the Hemlington Recreation Centre, the Tour follows the Hemlington Lake Infinity Route with the ‘Get on yer Bike’ Cycle Ride officially started by Mayor of Middlesbrough Dave Budd at 11am.

This will be followed by the 5k Fun Run at 12.30 and Community Stroll at 2pm, with other free activities on the day including face painting, balloon modelling and glitter tattoos.

The local Swift-tees running group will be marshalling the course, with member and Boro fanzine editor Rob Nicholls starting the Community Stroll and judging the baking competition.

Hemlington Ward Councillor Nicky Walker said: “We first had the idea of Tour de Hemlington when Tour de Yorkshire was being discussed within the Council, and are delighted that thanks to us all joining our efforts together it has now blossomed into a week of exciting events."

Leaflets on the Tour de Hemlington are available from Hemlington Library Hub or Hemlington Recreation Centre.

For more information, contact, Cllr Nicky Walker on 01642 591473/07876 137605, Cllr Jeanette Walker on 01642 276732 or Kirsty at Hemlington Linx on 01642 591955