MORE than 100 children from 17 schools across Bradford will be taking part in the Schools' Yorkshire Tour baton relay to celebrate National Bike Week.

The relay will see see hundreds of children and young people from more than 160 primary, secondary and special schools cycling to pass a baton along a 640km route across Yorkshire.

The relay started on June 5 at Pickering, North Yorkshire, and passes through East Riding, York, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley, Wakefield, Kirklees, Bradford, and Calderdale, before ultimately finishing in Leeds on July 3.

The baton arrives in Bradford on Friday, when children from Shirley Manor Primary Academy in Wyke take over from Kirklees at Victoria Park, Low Moor at approximately 2.30pm.

Shirley Manor will be custodians over the weekend before Hill Top Primary School, Low Moor, will start the next leg of the journey on Monday at 9am.

The baton will travel a total of just over 36 miles across the Bradford district over two school days, before being passed onto Calderdale later on Tuesday.

The final Bradford school, Lower Fields will hold a celebratory ride around the school as their part in the baton relay comes to an end.

Accompanied by members of Sustrans, the young cyclists will use bicycles provided by Bradford Bikeability Scheme and will also use road cycle paths and towpaths when possible.

In addition there will be a variety of events planned at some of the schools taking part in the relay and at some historic locations along the tour route.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council's executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for our young cyclists to promote the benefits of cycling and inspire others to get on their bike.

"Cycling is fun and is good for the health and wellbeing of our children. It also improves the air quality for local residents and helps to relieve congestion outside school gates.

"I’d like wish all the children, and the people supporting them, a very enjoyable ride.”

The 17 primary schools in Bradford that are taking part are: Shirley Manor, Hill Top, Reevy Hill, Stocks Lane, Thornton, Cullingworth, Lees, Haworth, Oakworth, Parkwood, Eastwood, East Morton, Wycliffe, Fagley, Byron, Bowling Park and Lower Fields.

The relay is due to finish in Millennium Square in Leeds with a celebration event including special guest Brian Robinson, who was the first Briton to finish the Tour de France in 1955 and the first to win a stage in 1958.

The Schools' Yorkshire Tour baton relay has been organised by 12 local authorities, including Bradford, in partnership with Sustrans and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.