A CHARITY bike race named after a sweet treat exclusive to a famous Yorkshire tearoom takes place on Sunday.

Staff from Bettys Tea Rooms and Taylors of Harrogate, a family business, will be channelling their inner Tour de France cyclist at the 11th annual Fat Rascal Bike Race on Sunday, May 18.

Ninety-nine amateur cyclists will take part in the charity race, with pit stops at four of the six Bettys Café Tea Rooms branches.

The route is 125 miles, starting at York and heading to Northallerton, Harlow Carr and Ilkley, before returning to the starting point.

There is also a shorter ride for less able cyclists to take part in.

All money raised is donated to various regional charities being supported by Bettys branches.

Last year the race raised more than £4,500 for organisations including St Gemma’s Hospice, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the Yorkshire Regiment Benevolent Trust.

This year’s charities include the Alzheimer’s Society, York Mind and Independent Domestic Abuse Services.

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “I love that one of the region’s most iconic Yorkshire businesses, Bettys and Taylors, has such a fantastic cycling spirit and it’s great to see how the Fat Rascal Bike Race has grown so much since it started in 2003.”