Andy Tennant, pro cyclist for Team WIGGINS and the Team GB track team, has welcomed this week's awarding of the 2019 Road World Championships to Yorkshire.
Tennant said he heard the news on Tuesday afternoon, and celebrated by going out for a ride.
"It's super exciting," he told Sportive.com. "I must admit I got on the bike shortly afterwards for a training session and thought quite a lot about the Champs!
He anticipates Yorkshire will lay on a challenging course for the world's best cyclists, and one that might suit riders used to British roads.
"It will be an exciting but tough race, Tour de France contenders are all likely to be vying for the title. As the terrain is tough roads and hard climbing, I would expect it to suit riders like Simon Yates, Adam Yates and Chris Froome, so hopefully we have some good home grown options for the win."
The awarding of the World Championships to Yorkshire follows on the region's hugely successful hosting of the Grand Départ for the 2014 Tour de France. That in turn led to the foundation of the Tour de Yorkshire, a three-day, 2.1 category road race first held in 2015, and its official sportive, the Tour de Yorkshire Ride.
Andy is quick to recognise Yorkshire's Tour legacy. "Tour de Yorkshire has massively helped British Cycling over the (past two) years, it's one of the best races to do and most enjoyable," he said.
"They always look after riders well and have done a fantastic job. Winning the World Road Champs bid really is testimony to the great job they have done with other events and I'm sure the event in 2019 will only cement that further."
Tennant believes the effects of Yorkshire's winning bid will have benefits outside of the region too.
"Bringing the World Champs to the UK is positive for many different people; the UK have won another sporting event, Yorkshire as a region are proving they are leaders in hosting major events, pro cyclists have an opportunity to win on home soil and fans can come out and watch an international event!"
Andy has Yorkshire connections and is already looking forward to checking out the route when it is announced.
"I have cycled in Yorkshire a lot, my grandparents live in Saltburn On Sea in the Yorkshire Moors and I still enjoy going back.
"I'm sure I'll be adjusting my training and rides to bring in more of that terrain in the coming months and years, especially when they release the route. Perhaps me and my best man Ed Clancy, who's a Yorkshireman, will go up for some rides to scope it out too."
It's a long way off, but what price track mates Ed and Andy teaming up on the Yorkshire roads in 2019?
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