Worcestershire welcomes the return of elite professional cycling this Tuesday (3 June) as The Pearl Izumi Tour Series returns to Redditch for the third successive Summer.
Over 50 of Britain's top professional cyclists will be racing around the streets of Redditch, including Olympic Champion Ed Clancy and his Series leading Rapha Condor JLT team, and last year's Redditch winner Tom Scully and his Madison Genesis team.
Clancy's team arrive as Series leaders, eight points in front of Madison Genesis, having taken three team wins already this season, plus a brace of individual wins thanks to Felix English and Graham Briggs.
For the second successive year the Choose how you move backed event will also include a round of the women's Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series.
Last year Hannah Barnes won in dominating style, but this year the battle has been much closer fought, with a trio of Scottish riders – Eileen Roe, Charline Joiner and Katie Archibald – all at the head of the standings, as they prepare to race for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this Summer.
The Matrix Fitness GP race gets underway at 6pm, for approximately 45-minutes on 1.4-kilometre course, which includes the Unicorn Hill climb that is always popular with spectators.
Following the women it will be Round Seven of the men's Pearl Izumi Tour Series at 7.30pm, with nine squads of five riders battling it out over 1-hour plus five laps for the team and individual victories.
Highlights of both races will be shown on ITV4 at 9pm on Wednesday 4 June with a repeat the following morning at 9am. The next round of The Pearl Izumi Tour Series takes place at Canary Wharf, London on Thursday 5 June.
Support events on Church Green West begin from 1pm onwards, with a Fire Service Parade at 4.15pm before an amateur time trial event around the circuit at 4.30pm.
Spectators are also reminded that this won't be their last chance to see professional cycling in Worcestershire, as The Tour of Britain returns in September, when Worcester will host the Start of Stage Four to Bristol on Wednesday 10 September.
Further details of Worcester's Tour of Britain start will be announced in the coming weeks.