All ready for the Tour de Force

The Tour de Yorkshire only skirts the borough boundary of Rotherham, but Conisbrough and Tickhill are both preparing for the great race passing through tomorrow, while Maltby residents can pop up the road to Stainton to see some of the sport’s big names – including Sir Bradley Wiggins, world road race champion Elizabeth Armitstead and Rotherham’s own Russ Downing – whizzing past.

Don Gill, of Tickhill, said residents and shopkeepers were planning a colourful carnival atmosphere on the big day, with street parties, flags, banners, yellow painted bikes and knitted yellow bunting all in place to make the most of the occasion.

The town’s own annual Scarecrow Festival takes place on the same day, from 10am to 5pm.

Stainton’s Three Tuns pub will be laying on breakfast for cycling fans and there will be big screens in place to watch the action.

The women’s race peloton is set to pass by at about 11am and the male competitors expected at about 4.40pm.

Family activities including a cycling simulator – and refreshments – will be on offer all day, as well as a disco and live band in the afternoon,

The annual Stainton Duck Race will take place at about 1pm.

Also among those involved in the preparations is Darren Beachill, who is seen in our photo painting the bizarre scene of a fish riding a bicycle on the roof of the Sea Fish restaurant in Conisbrough, which may well be seen in aerial TV coverage of the tour.

The town has also been decorated with yellow bicycles in an echo of the Tour de France stages held in Yorkshire two years ago.

Conisbrough is holding its own day-long festival to mark the event, with bands including Numb Youth, The Starkins, The Homesteads and the Harringtons providing live music at the Mill Piece from 11.30am to 8.30pm and an acoustic stage at Brook Square.

There will also be food vendors and market stalls and family activities on offer.

Sprotbrough, which successfully lobbied to have Stage Two of the race rerouted through the village, will hold its own street party.

Hundreds of riders will pass through the Dearne Valley en route from Otley to Doncaster on Saturday, with the women’s race competitors set to be spotted in our area during the late morning and the men at between 4pm and 5pm.

The adjacent tables show full details of expected arrival times, with the columns on the women’s race table based on an average speed of (left to right) 39, 37 or 35mph and the men’s on an average of 47, 45 or 43mph.

Bus company Stagecoach Yorkshire has urged spectators and other passengers to ensure they plan their travel on Saturday well in advance.

Customers are advised to check the Stagecoach website before they travel www.stagecoachbus.com and get real time updates on the @StagecoachYrks twitter account for the latest travel information throughout the day.

Buses will still be operating but there will be diversions and road closures in some areas.

For more information about the race go to letour.yorkshire.com.

For more details about who is competing, see our sport pages.

If you’re going along to watch the race, don’t forget to email us your best pictures to [email protected] or Tweet us @rotherhamtiser