THE official Ilkley flag for this year’s Tour de Yorkshire is now flying high over the centre of Ilkley.

It was raised at a ceremony on Thursday last week attended by pupils from Ilkley Grammar - Ethan Whiteside, Wilbur Summerson, Eleanor Hunt and Freya Whiteside who are all keen cyclists with Ilkley Cycling Club, as well as local people and businesses.

The flag, which was presented to representatives from Bradford Council by Welcome to Yorkshire, will fly in the town to help celebrate the race coming to the district on May 4 and 6.

The big annual cycle race - organised by Welcome to Yorkshire - will pass through Otley twice this year, on Friday, May 4 and again on Sunday, May 6. ?Ilkley, meanwhile, will be one of the event’s ‘hub’ towns on May 4, for the Barnsley to Ilkley stage for both the men and women’s races.

With just over a week to go Wharfedale is gearing up for the race with a number of events planned.

Otley will celebrate with bunting throughout the town with a Chippendale/TDY theme and pedalos will be back on the River Wharfe for the day. The Chippendale statue will be dressed in cycling gear and close to the bridge a land art project will combine a bicycle and a ‘300’ to celebrate the tercentenary of Thomas Chippendale’s birth.

Across the Wharfe Valley giant land art footprints will lead up to the Cow & Calf. They have been produced by Bradford Council to honour Rombald the Giant - who legend says created the Cow & Calf. They have been positioned at Ben Rhydding Golf Club, Ben Rhydding Primary School, Ashfield Primary School and Nell Bank Outdoors Centre.

In the River Wharfe near the bridge at New Brook Street there will be 3,800 rubber ducks and events are planned at the Riverside gardens with adventure play equipment. From 11am to 6pm there will be a wide range of exciting activities for children of all ages, including the Spider Mountain, Bungee Trampolines, Climbing Tower, Ultimate Wipeout, Inflatable Camouflaged Assault Course, Tots De Luxe Play Zone, Face Painting, Arts & Crafts and lots more.

The Grove will have music on the band stand, cycle comedy performances with sheep heads and costumes, cycle themed face painting and arts and crafts. There will also be a big screen.

Other art planned includes a painted Yorkshire rose on the rock face at the Cow and Calf and at 200m to go you will see another fun piece of land art painted onto the road featuring two cartoon cows showing how far the riders have to go to the summit. It has been produced by a group of land art specialists called Sand In Your Eye.

The Tour de Yorkshire Caravan is scheduled to stop in Ilkley at 4.57pm on Friday, May 4.