Tour de Yorkshire 2019: Mark Cavendish confirmed on start list alongside Chris Froome and Marcel Kittel

The Dimension Data rider's mother lives in Harrogate

Mark Cavendish has confirmed he will race the 2019 Tour de Yorkshire in another significant boost for the race organisers.

The Dimension Data sprinter, whose mother lives in Harrogate, will return to Yorkshire having ridden the race for the first time last year.

Cavendish said: “I’m really excited to heading back to the Tour de Yorkshire along with my Dimension Data for Qhubeka team-mates to race in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

“I really enjoyed the tough but beautiful parcours last year as I rode the race for the first time, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for us in the 2019 edition.

“Over and above the racing though, it always blows my mind to see the incredible support of the fans. With some of my family in Yorkshire, it makes it so special and I can’t wait to see them all again.”

Cavendish joins an strong start list including his long-time sprint rival Marcel Kittel, last year’s winner Greg van Avermaet, and Chris Froome – who will lead Team Ineos in his first race since their change of sponsorship from Sky.

The world time trial champion Annemiek van Vleuten was also confirmed on Thursday and will challenge local favourite and 2017 winner Lizzie Deignan in a competitive women’s field.

Race organisers believe this is the strongest list of riders yet in the fifth edition of the legacy race which spawned from the Tour de France's Grand Depart in 2014.

The race is expected to be the scene of strong protests against Ineos, a company which promotes loosening legislation on fracking in the north of England and whose environmental record has come in for ferocious criticism.

The men’s race begins on Thursday 2 May in Doncaster and will culminate in Leeds city centre on Sunday 5 May. The women’s event takes place on the Friday and Saturday mornings along the same route as the men’s Tour, finishing in Scarborough.