Thursday 28 September 2017 12:36, UK
Barnsley, Halifax, Ilkley and Richmond will host a stage's start or finish next year's Tour de Yorkshire for the first time.
The four new locations were announced by the race organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) on Thursday.
Previous host locations Beverley, Doncaster, Leeds and Scarborough have also been named. The new stages are a result of the men's race (May 3-6) being extended from three days to four and the women's race (May 3-4) becoming a
two-day event.
Launched in 2015 to build on Yorkshire's successful hosting of the Tour de France's Grand Depart a year before, the race has grown in prestige and popularity.
According to the organisers, more than two million spectators watched last year's races from the roadside, the action was broadcast live in 180 countries and it generated £64 million for the local economy.
With the 2019 Road World Championships coming to the county, Yorkshire's status as a cycling hotbed was confirmed by the sport's governing body the UCI last week when the county was made one of the eight new "UCI bike regions".
In a statement, Welcome to Yorkshire's chief executive Sir Gary Verity said: "The Tour de Yorkshire is a true success story and in just three years it has grown to become one of the best attended and most dramatic races on the cycling calendar.
"Of course, with the men's race being extended to four days and the women's race now being held over two, it means we can visit more parts of the county and I know our eight start and finish locations will put on a real show."
Next year's event will feature a sportive for amateur riders, a Tour Makers volunteer programme and will visit many of the places that have started bike libraries that aim to offer every child in Yorkshire access to a bike.
British Cycling chief executive Julie Harrington said: "Next year's Tour de Yorkshire is shaping up to be the best yet with more stages for the men's and women's races and, at British Cycling, we're looking forward to working with
colleagues and partners across the county to use the inspiration of the world's best riders to get even more people on bikes."
The full race route - with exact start and finish locations, distances and profiles - will be unveiled on December 5.
Belgian rider Serge Pauwels won this year's men's race, with Yorkshire's Lizzie Deignan taking the women's prize.
