WELCOME to Yorkshire is bidding to host the 2019 UCI World Road Championships - a move which is being financially backed by the Government.

The championships see some of the best cyclists in the world compete to win the iconic rainbow jersey across a cruelling eight day schedule.

Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, has presented the application to stage the race to UCI President Brian Cookson, looking to build on the success of 2014's Tour de France Grand Départ and the subsequent Tour de Yorkshire races.

The bid has been compiled in partnership with British Cycling and UK Sport, and the British Government has guaranteed it will underwrite the full cost of staging the event, and will back it with £24 million investment.

The bid features routes all over the county and full details will be released if the bid wins at the UCI's annual congress in October in Doha, Qatar.

The World Championships is one of the most prestigious events in the cycling calendar, and past winners include Otley rider Lizzie Armitstead, Mark Cavendish and Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Along with the elite road races and time trials for men and women, there are also under 18s and under 23s races.

Sir Gary said it would be an "absolute" honour to host the championships in 2019.

He said: "Yorkshire has everything a bike race could wish for.

"We can promise a gruelling but spectacular range of routes, huge crowds and the very warmest of welcomes, and we are sure the world’s best riders will find our beautiful roads both challenging and exhilarating in equal measure.

“The Grand De?part cemented the county’s place as a world class cycling destination and since then I have been proud to oversee the launch and growth of the Tour de Yorkshire – a race which is now regarded as one of the most dramatic and well-supported events in the sport.

“Make no mistake, cycling is in Yorkshire’s DNA and hosting the 2019 UCI Road World Championships will only reaffirm that."

Bob Howden, president of British Cycling, said Yorkshire and Britain are the championships' natural home.

He said: "Britain has proved that when it gets behind major cycling events, it really does the nation proud.

"Not only would Yorkshire deliver a cycling event to rival the scenes we saw in the Grand Départ, it promises to build on our fantastic legacy of getting more people to discover the joys of life on two wheels."