The UCI 2.1 event begins on Friday with a 175km stage from Bridlington to Scarborough, and you can find out where to catch all the action and all the information on every stage in our where to watch and full stage by stage preview.
But the most attention fell on the riders, with Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) and of course, Sir Bradley Wiggins (Team Wiggins) on hand to talk to the gathering cycling fans.
Stars of cycling turned out to the presentation of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire on Thursday in York, to celebrate the start of the thee-day race.
Welcome to Yorkshire chief Gary Verity and Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme were in attendance for the ribbon cutting, as was five-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault.
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‘You can see the power you need to survive the Tour de France’ - Marcel Kittel reflects on his most successful yearsMarcel Kittel retired from professional cycling as not only one of the best sprinters of his generation, but one of the most successful in the history of the Tour de France.
By Alex Ballinger •
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Marcel Kittel talks us through his best year
Marcel Kittel has been pondering the question for a week. “How do you define your best year? Do you take victories as the most important factor?” It was what Chris Marshall Bell assumed when he first made contact for this interview
By Simon Richardson •
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Custom shoe designer gets an unexpected boost after Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins dons his kit
The Shoe Dr has done customised shoes for pros like Harry Tanfield but was still starstruck by the first British Tour winner
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
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Wiggins family winds up third company with debts of £141,000
Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins has seen a third company in his stable of businesses enter liquidation with debts of £141,000.
By Vern Pitt •
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Bradley Wiggins liquidates businesses with debts of over £1m
Creditors expected to be left out of pocket as Team Wiggins company folds
By Vern Pitt •
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Welcome to Yorkshire have 12 months to repay £500,000 rescue loan
The tourism agency were given the loan by the council to prevent their collapse
By Jonny Long •
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‘Cycling is beautiful but professional sport is another story’: Marcel Kittel on his decision to retire at 31
Marcel Kittel has shared more of his motivation for retiring from pro racing at 31.
By Alex Ballinger •
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'I took some time for myself': Marcel Kittel gives update on his time off the bike
The German sprinter quit his Katusha-Alpecin team in May
By Jonny Long •
