About 26,000 people have put their names forward to be ‘Tourmakers’ when the world’s greatest cycling event comes to town.

Applications for the Yorkshire leg of the Tour de France have now closed.

The Tourmakers’ role will include lining the route, welcoming visitors and providing general support when the Grand Depart passes through the region this summer.

Gary Verity – chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, which led the winning bid to bring the Grand Depart to the county – said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response to our call for people to register an interest in becoming a Tourmaker.

“It clearly demonstrates not only how excited and passionate people are about the Tour de France coming to Yorkshire, but also their willingness to get involved in volunteering to help make this the grandest of Grand Departs in history.”

The race comes through Silsden, Keighley and the Worth Valley on July 6.