Tour de Yeo-rkshire
Hove postman Melvyn Yeo will be taking part in the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire sportive, which allows amateur cyclists the chance to experience the atmosphere of riding 123km of the UK’s top tour event on Sunday 5 May.
The ride starts and finishes in Leeds, following a scenic route through the Yorkshire dales; culminating on the same finishing line a few hours before the professionals finish their Stage 4 event.
Melvyn will be sporting the specially designed cycling jersey he’s having designed for him with the help of none other than the world-renowned Yorkshire artist, Mackenzie Thorpe.
Mr Thorpe, who’s from Middlesbrough, has his company on Melvyn’s round and is one of the biggest-selling British artists of the last 30 years. He was confirmed as the official Tour de Yorkshire artist for 2019 when the full route for the fifth edition – which takes place between 2-5 May - was announced in December.
‘I only got back into cycling a couple of years ago because my running wasn't going too well and I was getting too many aches and pains!’ said Melvyn.
‘I deliver the post to Mackenzie Thorpe and saw a leaflet about the Tour de Yorkshire. I asked Mackenzie’s wife, Susan, about the Tour and that's when she said they were designing the medals for the event and asked me if I was interested in doing it!’
Melvyn will be cycling in aid of the charity Sussex Homeless Support who he also delivers the post to. ‘Brighton and Hove have a lot of homeless people and I used to see them wrapped up in old duvets and blankets trying to sleep when I was running along the seafront on freezing cold winter mornings and evenings,’ he said. ‘Sussex Homeless Support provide support, accommodation, advice, and outreach to homeless people in Sussex.’
Jayne Moore Media are creating the bespoke cycling jersey for Melvyn. The jersey will be illustrated with both Mackenzie Thorpe’s and Royal Mail’s logo. It will also have the logos for Sussex Homeless Support and the Tour de Yorkshire.
If you would like to help Mel reach his £1,000 fundraising target for Sussex Homeless Support, you can visit his fundraising page here.
