A SOCIAL media campaign has been launched to ensure everyone is cheering on Lizzie Armitstead this weekend.

The World Champion cyclist will have huge support when she sets off from her hometown of Otley on Saturday in the Asda Tour de Yorkshire women's race.

But now a new YouTube video, featuring people from the Otley Mayor to pupils from the cyclist's old school, The Whartons Primary, has been produced to drum up even more support.

The film, produced by Menston-based PR company All About The Story, is the focal point for the Allez Lizzie campaign. It can be viewed on YouTube under the title Otley says #AllezLizzie.

Otley traders, together with the town council, cafe and pub staff, shop employees, cyclists, hairdressers, Otley Bellman Terry Ford, butchers, dog walkers and more also appear in the video.

The most moving contribution, however, comes from Lizzie’s grandparents, Marjorie and Ray Dunn, who round off the clip with a rousing call to "support our Lizzie!" and "join in the conversation".

The three-minute clip has already been viewed more than 2,000 times, including by Lizzie herself, who Tweeted: "No pressure then... Ha!Ha! Thank you to my home town for this video!

"I'll do my best to put on a good show #otley."

The campaign's name – French for 'Come on Lizzie' – is a nod to the 2014 Tour de France's Grand Depart, which attracted thousands of spectators when it passed through Otley.

Supporters are being asked to spread the #allezlizzie! hashtag on Twitter and share the link to the YouTube film with as many people as possible.

Lizzie and the other female cyclists will set off from Boroughgate on Saturday at 8.15am, and the town council's community development officer, Dr Jason Knowles, is expecting a bumper day.

He said: "Such a showpiece event provides a great opportunity to put Otley on the map, and we know visitors will benefit from a fantastic experience on the day.

"This Tour de Yorkshire will be a memorable occasion for all and will be particularly special given that the town is home to Lizzie Armitstead.

"We hope such high-profile events, added to all the other events and attractions the town has to offer, will attract more visitors to Otley in the future."

Saturday's race will be Lizzie's first in the UK since winning her World Champion jersey.