British road cycling champion Adam Blythe believes Yorkshire is the perfect place to host the 2019 UCI Road World Championships and would love to see the event take place in his home county.
Blythe was born and raised in Sheffield and has raced for a number of the world’s best teams since turning professional in 2010. The biggest win of his career came in June when he outsprinted Mark Cavendish to claim the coveted national title, and he is hoping to represent Great Britain for the first time at this year’s World Championships which are held in Doha, Qatar, between 9 – 16 October.
The 26 year old was delighted to learn Welcome to Yorkshire had submitted the bid in partnership with the Department of Culture, Media & Sport, UK Sport and British Cycling, and has lent his backing to it before the UCI make their decision at their annual congress in Doha during this year’s Championships.
Blythe, who rides for the Tinkoff team, said: “I still cycle in Yorkshire as much as I can and it’s a great place for training. It’s the perfect location to host the World Championships because the roads are really challenging. The routes will certainly be selective and make for exciting racing, and the crowds in Yorkshire are always massive.
“I didn’t ride the 2014 Tour de France but was actually part of that crowd. I went to watch stage two and the amount of people who turned out to cheer the riders on was crazy. The crowds at the Tours de Yorkshire have also been huge, and it’ll be the same if the Worlds come to the county.
“For someone who’s grown up riding here it’s been unbelievable to see and Welcome to Yorkshire has done a brilliant job. Years ago I never imagined the world’s best riders would come here and race on the same roads I used to train on, but now that’s the reality. As a Yorkshireman it definitely makes me proud.”
Blythe believes Britain’s reputation as a cycling powerhouse is also on the rise and that hosting the 2019 Championships will help solidify that status.
He added: “Whenever I speak with foreign riders they really enjoy riding here and are always pleasantly surprised how well organised and how well supported these races are.
“I haven’t ridden the Tour de Yorkshire yet but I definitely want to do so in the future, and of course, I’d love to ride the 2019 World Championships if we get them.”
