News: Asda Partners Yorkshire’s Grand Départ 2014

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Asda becomes official partner of the Tour Makers for Yorkshire’s Grand Départ 2014 and Tour de France in the UK.

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In a first for the famous cycling race, Asda will help with the recruitment, training, feeding and clothing of the Tour Makers, which will be made up of up to 10,000 volunteers across the country. People have one last chance to put themselves forward for consideration before the deadline on the 31st December.

Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP (Sheffield Hallam), officially launched the partnership in Yorkshire today, alongside Welcome to Yorkshire Bid Ambassador and double Commonwealth gold medal winning cyclist Malcolm Elliott from Sheffield who joined Asda officials and local riders to unfurl a giant one-off Tour Maker shirt to mark the project launch.

Asda, which has its roots firmly placed in the county, will work with Welcome to Yorkshire to oversee the training and selection of the volunteers to help deliver the Grand Départ. Asda will also provide the final volunteer force with a Tour Maker uniform exclusively designed by the retailer’s clothing brand George, as well as refreshments throughout the course of the Grand Départ.

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said: “You can already sense the buzz and excitement right across the country as we get ever closer to Yorkshire’s Grand Départ – and the launch of the Tour Makers and the public’s response to it already is evidence of that. I would urge anyone interested in this scheme to put their names forward now. The eyes of the world will be on Yorkshire when the peloton sets off from Leeds and spends two days racing around the county before finishing in Sheffield, and then racing from Cambridge to London. It promises to be an historic, spectacular event and really cements our nation as a global sporting leader.”

Stephen Smith, Chief Marketing Officer at Asda, said: “We are really proud of our Yorkshire roots and it’s such an honour for Asda to be involved in a first for Tour de France, by supporting the Tour Makers in such an iconic sporting event that’s on our doorstep. Every day, each of our 200,000 colleagues go the extra mile, delivering great service and we wanted to share some of this experience by playing a major role in supporting the thousands of volunteers who will help to make the Yorkshire Grand Départ of the Tour de France a huge success – I personally can’t wait.”

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “It is great to have secured a partnership with Asda, a firm whose roots are inextricably linked with Yorkshire and who understand what this sporting moment will mean to the county.

“Yorkshire will be at the centre of the global stage next summer as the world’s largest annual sporting event starts in the county. Two to three million people are expected to line the routes of the three stages in England and the Tour Makers will play a hugely important role in welcoming the world to our proud county and giving them a memorable experience during their stay.”

Up to 10,000 volunteering roles are up for grabs during the three days the race is in England. The roles include everything from welcoming international visitors at major transport hubs, to supporting National Park rangers and the emergency services.

Anyone interested in volunteering for any of the three stages of the race while it is in England can register at www.letouryorkshire.com/volunteer before December 31.

Welcome to Yorkshire led the winning bid to bring the Grand Départ to the county. The Grand Départ of the Tour de France takes place in Yorkshire on the weekend of the 5th and the 6th July. The first stage races from Leeds to Harrogate via the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the second stage races from York to Sheffield via Pennine Yorkshire and the Peak District National Park.

More details about the Grand Départ are available online at www.letouryorkshire.com – a third stage also takes place on the 7th July racing from the cycling city of Cambridge to historic heart of London before it returns to northern France.

 

 

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