IT was a very wet Yorkshire which welcomed the Elite Men’s Road Race riders on Sunday as the UCI Road World Championships continued its journey around the county.

Despite the deluge, which saw rivers break their banks and last minute changes made to routes in North Yorkshire, particularly around Grinton and Buttertubs, people still made the effort to line the streets through Skipton.

The riders were bunched together as they entered Newmarket Street and headed up the high street past Holy Trinity Church and were greeted with cheers of excitement.

A National Lottery cheer station was set up outside Skipton Town Hall to support the world-class cyclists and crowds turned out to cheer them on despite the rain.

Craven District Council leader, Councillor Richard Foster, said: “It was fantastic to see so many people turn out in Craven to support this prestigious race in spite of the weather.

“The crowds on Skipton High Street were very enthusiastic and our Dales countryside looked beautiful as always, even in the rain.

“This was a great event to showcase our district to the world, with minimal disruption, and I’m proud of our residents who came out to support the race and welcome visitors from around the globe.”

Nationalities from around the world waved flags as the leading riders sped up Skipton High Street, followed by the peloton and team cars.

The race went on to follow the route of the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2014, going up past Rylstone, Cracoe, Threshfield, Kilnsey, Kettlewell, Starbotton and Buckden before going up over Kidstones and into Richmondshire.

The route through Richmondshire was changed due to the weather, which also caused the race to be delayed by around half an hour.

The cyclists went on to complete nine laps of Harrogate, and the race was won by Mads Pederson, of Denmark, in a thrilling sprint finish.

Earlier in the week Annemiek van Vleuten of the Netherlands won the women’s road race

Yorkshire 2019 Ltd was responsible for the delivery of the Championships which was held between September 22 and 29.

It was the 92nd UCI Road World Championships and the fourth to be held in the United Kingdom.

The event was funded principally through DCMS and UK Sport, whilst also receiving support from British Cycling and the start and finish host towns.

The UK Government and UK Sport committed £12 million to the event and a further £15 million has been allocated to develop entry-level cycling facilities across England.