Bridge collapses on Yorkshire 2019 World Championships course

The bridge on the Grinton Moor climb has been washed away with 52 days left until the race
Alex Ballinger

A bridge on the Yorkshire World Championships course has collapsed after heavy rain caused flooding across the country.

North Yorkshire has been hit by flash floods when 100mm of rain fell on Tuesday (July 30), with roads and buildings being damaged.

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Pictures surfaced on social media of Grinton Moor bridge having been badly affected by the downpours, leaving a hole in the road with the bridge then being washed away completely.

Grinton Moor is one of the key climbs on the 285km-long men’s Worlds road race course, sitting just after the 120km mark.

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The Tour de France peloton on Grinton Moor in 2014 (Picture: Tim Goode/PA Wire)

But a bridge on the climb has been washed away by the heavy rain, which could force organisers to re-think the route.

A statement from the CEO of the Yorkshire 2019 Worlds, Andy Hindley, said: “At the current time, our thoughts are with those affected by the flooding.

“We will address any damage to race routes with North Yorkshire County Council in due course.”

North Yorkshire Country Council has been dealing with incidents across the region after the extreme weather caused landslides and damage to buildings, including the collapse of a pub wall.

Head of highway operations with the council, Nigel Smith, said: “This morning we have deployed all our available resources to check known areas of flooding, or road and bridge damage, and also to ensure that the remainder of the highway network is safe for the travelling public to use.

“In respect of the landslide and the bridge, we are working with experts and structural engineers to determine what remedial work needs putting in place and to reinstate those routes as soon as possible.”

This was the first picture of Grinton Moor Bridge to emerge (Picture: Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team)

A picture of the damage to Grinton Moor Bridge first appeared on social media on Tuesday, where the road surface had fallen away into the streams below.

Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team posted a picture of the damaged bridge as they were being called out to assist residents during the flooding.

The recent weather has forced organisers to cancel the mountain bike event Ard Rock Enduro Festival 2019 in Yorkshire, as flash flooding has affected the site.