Tour de Yorkshire race volunteers needed - here’s why and how to sign up as a Tour Maker

Volunteers who keep the annual Tour de Yorkshire cycling race up and running have spoken about what makes the role special for them – as 100 days remain until the next major event.
Team Sunweb's Max Walscheid wins the sprint in North Bay Scarborough to take the Tour de Yorkshire, Stage 3.  Richmond to Scarborough.
5 May 2018.  Picture Bruce RollinsonTeam Sunweb's Max Walscheid wins the sprint in North Bay Scarborough to take the Tour de Yorkshire, Stage 3.  Richmond to Scarborough.
5 May 2018.  Picture Bruce Rollinson
Team Sunweb's Max Walscheid wins the sprint in North Bay Scarborough to take the Tour de Yorkshire, Stage 3. Richmond to Scarborough. 5 May 2018. Picture Bruce Rollinson

The east coast will feature on day three of the event - as cyclists heading out of Bridlington, they will take on the North York Moors National Park over 132km, taking in Lythe Bank, Sandsend, Whitby and finishing with the eyes of the world watching in Scarborough.

A group of the race’s Tour Makers met up yesterday to promote tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire’s volunteer recruitment drive ahead of the start on Thursday, May 2.

Cyclists make their way through the outskirts of Whitby. Tour de Yorkshire - stage three, Sunday 1st May 2016. Picture: Scott Wicking.Cyclists make their way through the outskirts of Whitby. Tour de Yorkshire - stage three, Sunday 1st May 2016. Picture: Scott Wicking.
Cyclists make their way through the outskirts of Whitby. Tour de Yorkshire - stage three, Sunday 1st May 2016. Picture: Scott Wicking.
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Brian Slater, Amin Hossain, Peter Arendt, Thomasin Laming and Julie Robinson have assisted the race multiple times, keeping crowds safe and ramping up the atmosphere among some of the region’s most celebrated landscapes.

Mr Slater, 72, last year supervised 70 other Tour Makers at The Headrow after first volunteering when the Tour de France came to Leeds in 2014.

“To think that went out to 180 countries live and it was a perfect sunny day – Yorkshire doesn’t get any better than that,” he said.

Mr Slater said the arrival of primary schools raised the noise levels ready for the riders to pass.

Bridlington was the start of the Tour de Yorkshire.Bridlington was the start of the Tour de Yorkshire.
Bridlington was the start of the Tour de Yorkshire.

“They were so excited. They made flags, they made banners.

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“The joy on those kids’ faces, the experience of seeing all those riders – they were just absolutely beside themselves.

“It was amazing. I went home that night and thought, ‘Wow, these kids have had such a day’.”

Mr Hossain, 59, described the experience as like “over and above being a spectator.

“It’s pleasurable to witness the enjoyment, the crowds”, he added.

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One aspect of being a Tour Maker that Miss Laming, 37, enjoys is seeing the race up close and from the best views.

She has helped since the 2014 Grand Depart, but last year enjoyed being a flag and whistle marshall on road traffic islands.

“If you are near the front you’ve got the whole peloton coming towards you and as they come to the island they just separate,” she said.

“You never know who there is going to be and who you are going to interact with.”

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Fellow volunteer Ms Robinson, 56, greed – her favourite part was meeting professional road racing cyclist Mark Cavendish last year.

“He was stood where I parked my car every day.”

Mr Arendt, 66, stressed that proper police training to provided to everyone who signs up as a Tour Maker, as making sure the event is safe is a main priority for volunteers.

“If we didn’t do that it wouldn’t be a good time for anybody,” he said.

Speaking about the atmosphere at the events, he added: “You will become almost like friends, in a sense. There is a comradeship involved.

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“You can be at various parts of Yorkshire – in some parts, the scenery can be spectacular.”

Last year a record 2.6m spectators lined the route and £98m was reportedly generated for the Yorkshire economy.

Full registration to become a 2019 Tour Maker is now open, with five different roles available to apply for.

A new online system called Rosterfy will this year be used to communicate with all the Tour Makers.

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After completing registration, people will be directed to their own personal “volunteer portal” where they can input any required information, amend their profile details and access updates.

Training days will take place across March and April in Wakefield, Bedale and Bridlington Spa.

For more information, frequently asked questions and to register, click here to visit the Tour de Yorkshire website.