Maximum Yorkshire

This was a tough Worlds well suited to the host county, writes Vern Pitt

- Vern Pitt

Cycling fans are a pretty special bunch at the best of times but in a sodden Yorkshire they — you — came into their own. The relentlessness of the rain during Sunday’s men’s World Championship road race should have left only ducks spectating, but instead, it was near impossible for latecomers to get a spot on the barriers. Even when the riders were on the other side of the 14km Harrogate circuit and within tempting distance of the coffee in Bettys Tea Rooms, there were fans roadside.

Earlier in the week, there was reason to doubt it would be like this. Under leaden skies young time triallists forded their way around the course; the juniors did their best to put on a show in their road races but the town maintained an eerie quiet at odds with the occasion. There were rumblings not of thunder but from shopkeepers bemoaning that their takings were down by as much as 50 per cent as tumbleweeds blew through the street.