Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has delivered an £800,000 boost to help make the first ever Tour de Yorkshire cycle race a success.

Some £300,000 will be invested by tourism body Welcome to Yorkshire to help market the event overseas.

And Mr Clegg also announced £500,000 to improve cycling facilities in Yorkshire.

The Tour de Yorkshire will be the county’s legacy from last year’s Tour de France Grand Depart which brought a £100 million boost to the region.

The Grand Depart came through Huddersfield and Calderdale – peaking with a climb up Holme Moss – and the Tour de Yorkshire arrives on Sunday, May 3.

On the third and final day riders set off from Wakefield and head into Kirklees through Upper Cumberworth and Shepley before heading through Holmfirth, Meltham, Marsden and Slaithwaite before going off into Calderdale for a spectacular descent down the iconic Cragg Vale.

Stage 3 of the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire 2015

Mr Clegg, speaking in Sheffield, said the £500,000 investment would fund a number of “cycle circuits” across the county.

Every year each circuit will support 10,000 competitive and recreational cyclists who want to take part in the sport away from traffic, with access to the best support facilities.

The aim is to inspire and nurture future Olympic, Paralympic and Tour de France champions.

Mr Clegg said: “Yorkshire wore the yellow jersey with pride last year with an incredible staging of the Grand Depart.

“The Tour de Yorkshire this summer is the perfect opportunity to build on this lasting legacy, attracting visitors again, which in turn will boost business in the region.

“Through my Northern Futures initiative, we have already announced £10 million to back proposals for a co-ordinated tourism strategy in the North.

“This further funding will ensure the Tour de Yorkshire gets international attention on a grand scale, whilst investment for new facilities will help the sport grow so that everyone can enjoy cycling.”

Full route

Welcome to Yorkshire chief executive Gary Verity said he wanted the three-day Yorkshire race to be one of the best in the world and hoped tourists would flock back to Yorkshire.

He added: “Last summer people saw the glorious landscape of Yorkshire as a perfect setting for a world class event and they’ll see that again this May – and hopefully for many years to come.”

Minister for Sport and Tourism Helen Grant also welcomed the announcement and said: “British Cycling has been a great success story in recent years and I want the sport to continue to grow at all levels.”

The Tour de Yorkshire will run from Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3. Stage one begins in Bridlington and finishes in Scarborough, stage two begins in Selby and finishes in York while stage three starts in Wakefield and will end in Leeds.

Here are some pictures from the day when West Yorkshire hosted the Tour De France