A NEW route has been announced for the Bradford Sky Ride - and the event will still go ahead on the same day as a prominent football fixture in the city.

The sixth annual event is this year on the same day, Sunday, September 20, as the League One clash between Bradford City and Sheffield United at Valley Parade.

Bradford Council revealed the route, which will include Little Germany, today and insisted the change from previous years had nothing to do with the football match.

The Bantams' Yorkshire derby with Sheffield United was moved to September 20 for live Sky coverage.

The traffic-free Skyride, also promoted by Sky, has taken in Manningham Lane - one of the main routes to Valley Parade - for the last three years and in 2014 attracted around 12,000 people.

Last month police and Council were forced into emergency talks because of the clash.

But a council spokesman has now said: "They decided in April this year that they wanted to have a route very much in the city centre to fit in with Sky's brief to have a more city-centre focused event.

"They held emergency meetings to ensure the groups did not clash."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

The ride, which is hosted by the Council in partnership with British Cycling and Sky, will start in City Park and go along the main streets of the city centre, including Market Street, Kirkgate, Cheapside and Valley Road, before making its way around Little Germany.

It will then head to Hall Ings, Drake Street and back into City Park.

Anyone can join the route at any time between 10am and 2pm. Registration opens at 9am at 'The Hub' in City Park where people can pick up their reflective Sky Ride bibs.

Councillor Imran Khan, the Council's executive member for Environment, Sport and Sustainability, said: "This is such a popular event and people really look forward to it. It's a great opportunity for parents to ride with children on roads that are normally busy with traffic and there is also plenty of entertainment in addition to cycling, so get yourself down there."

Anyone can join the route at any time between 10am and 2pm. Registration opens at 9am at 'The Hub' in City Park where people can pick up their reflective Sky Ride bibs.

As well as the ride, there will be entertainment from an extreme mountain bike show, an airbag jump and British Cycling's Go-Ride coaches. There will also be the chance to enter competitions and get your bike checked over by staff from Halfords.

The Council recommends that ride participants use car parks at Jacobs Well, Radwell Drive, Sharpe Street, Crown Court, Hall Ings, Southgate, Kirkgate Leisure Centre and Bradford Leisure Exchange.

To register for the event and find out more information on parking and bike hire, and to view the route map, visit goskyride.com/BradfordSkyRide.