The Tour de Yorkshire has announced military charity Help for Heroes as their official partner for 2019 in an exciting new collaboration…
The partnership will help support major fundraising initiatives throughout the year and provide recovery and support for all those who have been affected by their time serving in the British Armed Forces. Seven people per day are medically discharged from the Armed Forces and Help for Heroes aims to ensure that all those who have put their lives on the line get the second chance they deserve.
The fifth edition of the men’s race will take place between 2-5 May 2019 and has been upgraded to HC status by cycling’s world governing body the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) – the highest category possible for a multi-day race outside of the UCI WorldTour. It encompasses all four corners of the county and takes in 150 villages, towns and cities along the way.
The Asda Tour de Yorkshire Women’s Race meanwhile, will take place between 3-4 May meaning that for the first time ever, it will be held on a Friday and Saturday to allow more people to celebrate the race. Further new ground is also being broken by the fact both stages will be exactly the same as the men’s, meaning the 2019 edition will be the longest yet at 264km and also the hardest with over of 3,200m of cumulative climbing.
Help for Heroes Patron and Tour de Yorkshire competitor, Mark Cavendish said: “As a Patron of Help for Heroes I’ve seen first-hand the incredible work that they do for our wounded Veterans. Seeing Help for Heroes come together in partnership with the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire is incredibly exciting and I look forward to seeing fans of the Tour raise money for our Veterans.”
Mel Waters OBE, CEO of Help for Heroes, said: “We are honoured to be selected as the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire’s Official Charity Partner. Sport plays a huge role in the recovery of our Veterans who have become wounded, injured or sick. We are excited to be partnering with such an iconic event because we know first-hand the benefit this can bring to so many lives.”