Saturday the 5th of May 2018 will be an exciting one for Filey as the Tour de Yorkshire, the premier cycle race in the county, comes through the town!
The route for the 2018 tour has been announced, and Filey is one of the many beautiful places the cyclists will be riding through on their way to the stage 3 finish in Scarborough. There are sure to be thousands of people lining the route to cheer on the peloton and enjoy the entertainment of the caravan which precedes the race – if you haven’t yet seen a professional cycle ride up close it’s an experience not to be missed.
The exact time the riders will come through Filey has not yet been announced, but stages normally finish around 5pm so we expect the action to start between 4pm and 4:30pm. We recommend you get into town early to soak up the atmosphere and get a good spot to watch the race.
Where is a good spot? Professional cyclists go at a pretty fast speed (up to 30mph on flat ground – and downhill they can double that!) so to see the action up close you want to be near a tight corner where they have to slow down, or on a steep uphill section. Fortunately, Filey contains several great spots which will no doubt be popular with race-fans on the day. Here’s a map showing where we think the best views will be.
The route comes into Filey from Scarborough Road, then goes via Church Cliff Drive and down Marine Drive to Coble Landing, where the first sharp corner will no doubt attract a crowd. It then continues along the front, before turning up Crescent Hill. A viewing spot at the bottom of Crescent Hill will give you a great view down The Beach. Expect there to be lots of people on the steep hillside below Glen Gardens trying to get a seagulls-eye view! Once up on The Crescent the route turns the sharp corner by the Belle Vue, where a big crowd will probably be stationed close to the pubs and cafes, then goes up Belle Vue Street, across the junction and round the one-way Belle Vue Crescent before turning left, going past Tesco on their way to the main road.
Now is the perfect time to book accommodation nearby, as May is a popular time for visitors to catch early summer sunshine. There are plenty of places to stay in town, but as any regular visitor knows parking in Filey can be a problem on popular weekends.
Clara’s Den is on The Bay, an award-winning holiday village a couple of miles south of Filey, with direct pedestrian access to the beach. So why not walk into Filey along the beach – it only takes 45 minutes and you’ll have worked up an appetite for a good seaside lunch! For your safetly aslways check the high tide times before you set off. You could always take the easy way back on the bus or in a taxi.
Plus we have a 10% off special offer for all bookings made before 31st March, so now is the perfect time to look at our availability calendar and make your booking for the weekend of the Tour de Yorkshire.