British Cycling, Yorkshire Forward and the Forestry Commission have joined together to present the bid to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which, if successful, would help Britain's top riders prepare for the 2012 Olympics.

 

The event, which would be staged at Dalby Forest, an 8,600-acre site near Pickering, would expect to attract up to 400 of the world's leading cyclists.

 

Britain is currently represented on the World Cup circuit by Fort William in Scotland, which will be one of eight races that will make up the series next year, but British Cycling are throwing their support behind Dalby Forest for 2010.

 

British Cycling's Jonny Clay said: "Bringing a round of the Mountain Bike World Cup to Yorkshire and Humber over a number of years would be a real boost for the region.

"If these major events can be secured from the UCI, Yorkshire Forward and its partners are committed to a significant development plan to establish Dalby Forest and Yorkshire and Humber more widely as a true cycling destination."

 

Yorkshire Forward's Neil Jenkinson, the assistant director culture and major events, said: "This would deliver both significant media coverage and economic benefit for the region and would establish Yorkshire and Humber as one of the leading destinations for cycling."

The Forestry Commission is working on plans to create a new three-and-a-half mile route in Dalby Forest specifically for the event.

 

The £400,000 trials, which opened last year, claims to be England's most extensive network of mountain bike trails.

 

Alan Eves, forest management director, said: "We have already created stunning new cycling facilities, including 34 miles of single track trails, and also hosted the final stages of the Yorkshire stage of the Tour of Britain in September.

 

"We hope to get a final decision on the World Cup bid by next June."

To secure Dalby's status they have to build a course ready for a test event in May or June next year.

Testing will be carried out by the UCI to make sure the route is fit to host the event until 2013.

 

Earlier this year, insidethegames reported that Yorkshire officials had offered Dalby Forest as an alternative site for the mountain biking during the 2012 Olympics after the original site at Weald Country Park in Brentwood was ruled out by the UCI because it was too flat.

 

Their offer, however, was turned down because officials considered it to be too far away from London and Hadleigh Farm, near Southend in Essex, was chosen instead.