He was cycling down Otley Road at around 8am last Thursday morning, in the direction of the Prince of Wales Roundabout and turned left into Beech Grove.

He was found unconscious on the roadside by a passing doctor after coming off his bike.

Sgt Ian Pope, of the Harrogate Road Policing Unit, said: "It's not clear at this stage how the man came off his cycle, and we are appealing to members of the public who may have seen the cyclist riding down Otley Road or who witnessed the actual incident to get in touch.

"He has sustained serious injuries, and we need to establish if he fell from this cycle or if he was involved in a collision with a vehicle."

The man, local to Harrogate, was taken to Harrogate District Hospital with serious head and face injuries, and later transferred to Leeds General Infirmary.

Any witnesses, or anyone who was in the area between 8am to 8.15am to contact North Yorkshire Police on 0845 6060247.