A SPECTATOR as the Tour de France wound its way around his home county last year, Ben Swift is determined to be front and centre for the inaugural Tour de Yorkshire this weekend.

Swift was left out of Team Sky’s line-up for the three-week race last July when the British public demonstrated its love of the sport.

That appetite will once again be on show this bank holiday weekend over three stages, starting with a 174km route from Bridlington to Scarborough today (Friday).

With Sir Bradley Wiggins making his first appearance in the colours of his own team, following his departure from Team Sky, Swift knows victory would be a proud moment.

“The Tour de Yorkshire feels like it’s a big race already,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s not very often we get to have a race I can call my home race.”

Swift is billed as one of the favourites to claim the blue and yellow leader’s jersey at the conclusion of the final stage in Leeds.

He finished third in the 2014 Milan-San Remo and also has his eyes on the Yorkshire Bank sprinter’s jersey.

“There are a couple of sprints each day, and the one in Ilkley at the bottom of the moor will be pretty tough,” he said.

Swift believes the British public will once again be out in force, come rain or shine, this weekend.

“I’ve done a few reconnaisances and I’ve seen the atmosphere out on the roads already. There’s bunting everywhere, there are bikes painted, I think everybody is just really getting behind it again,” he added.

Yorkshire Bank has agreed a three-year sponsorship of the coveted sprinter’s jersey at the Tour de Yorkshire. The event builds on the legacy of the Tour de France and follows the ground-breaking Yorkshire Bank Bike Libraries initiative. This partnership signifies the bank’s commitment to increasing the access to cycling across the county - visit www.ybonline.co.uk