West Park United Reformed Church (URC), Harrogate, will be making use of its proximity to the 2019 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Road World Championships' finishing line by welcoming the competition’s organisers to its church.

The event runs from 22-29 September, and former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas will ride for Great Britain in the time trial on 25 September, along with national champion Alex Dowsett.

Former world champion Lizzie Deignan, whose grandfather Jeff Armistead is a URC minister, and sisters Alice and Hannah Barnes, the national road and time trial champions respectively, will take part in the women’s team event.

West Park URC will be the official base for post-race press conferences and will also host administrative staff and provide storage.

Brian Goldthorpe, who edits West Park URC’s magazine, said: “When the competition was announced, we asked the organisers how our building might be of use. As the organisers preferred a site where post-race press conferences could be held without the getting competitors back to the main press centre, our church suited their needs perfectly. The UCI – cycling’s world governing body – will be making a generous donation to us for using our church.”

The annual cycling competition last took place in Britain in 1982.

Brian continued: “Our engagement with the competition will of course generate much needed revenue. But it has also allowed us to show our members and the wider world that we have the flexibility to meet different needs. Out church is at the finishing line of every race, and as such, will be seen by a global TV audience of 275 million people. We hope that some who see the outside will be motivated to come inside.”

Andy Hindley, CEO of the Yorkshire 2019 competition, told the Harrogate Advertiser that the organisation was delighted to be working with West Park URC, saying: “We are very pleased to be able to assist with their fundraising efforts.”

_{Picture: UCI Road World Championship cyclists/SWPix
Published: 20 September 2019}