A yellow-painted bike, no matter how creaky, has become the accessory du jour for Yorkshire businesses and community organisations to proclaim their support for the Tour de France. Fearful that all these yellow crocks will end up on the scrapheap come August, York bike shop Shannons Cycle Centre has announced a plan to recycle them – to Africa.

“We would like to open the offer of recycling the bikes to Africa to anyone who has painted an old yellow bike to celebrate the grand depart - but will just be throwing it away after the event,” Carol Walker told the York Press.

The bikes will be despatched to Africa by Re-Cycle, a Colchester-based organisation that has so far sent over 54,000 used bikes to the continent.