ELITE cyclists will be put through their paces amid the trees and trails of an 8,600- acre forest next year, when the world mountain bike championships come to the region.

More than 500 bikers and 10,000 spectators are expected to attend the event at Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire, next April.

The announcement was made yesterday by the International Cycling Union, the world cycling’s governing body.

North Yorkshire will join destinations such as Germany, Italy and the US in hosting the event.

The championships will take place over the weekend of April 24 and 25 and will be broadcast worldwide.

A joint bid to host the championships was put together by British Cycling, regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, UK Sport and the Forestry Commission.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, said: “Bringing high-profile events like the world mountain bike championships are a fantastic way for us to showcase our region to the world and attract investment.

“It is vital that we use our natural assets – like Dalby Forest – to grow our regional economy. This is great news and we hope it will be a catalyst to encourage more people to participate in both recreational and competitive mountain biking.”

Last month, the Forestry Commission unveiled a fourmile “world cup” trail in Dalby Forest, at a cost of £90,000.

Forest management director Alan Eves said: “It has been a nail-biting few weeks waiting for the decision, and there is no doubt we were up against some tough international competition.

“The tension has been unbelievable – but now we can celebrate. The new trail has big climbs, fast descents and technically demanding features and really impressed delegates when they came to Dalby.”

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, formerly the Yorkshire Tourist Board, said: “This is fantastic news for Yorkshire.

“Yorkshire is gaining a solid reputation for its major events, which I’m sure will continue to attract many more visitors to the region.”

Councillor John Weighell, leader of North Yorkshire County Council, said: “This success will confirm Dalby Forest’s place as a world-class mountain biking venue.

“We look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators and showing them all that North Yorkshire has to offer.”