Excitement is building as the final preparations are made for welcoming Britain's fastest professional cyclists to Guisborough.
More details have been revealed about what to expect from the televised Tour Series 2021, set to take place in the historic market town on Sunday 8 August, organised by SweetSpot and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
It's a 3pm start time for the women's race, followed by the men's race at 4:30pm. Prior to this, activities will kick off from around 12 midday until 6pm.
If you fancy yourself as a road bike racer, British Cycling – in conjunction with local clubs - are bringing bikes down to the 150m finish straight, where people can take part in mini sprints themselves, while soft archery and multi-sport activities will be provided by Everyone Active in the grounds of Gisborough Priory.
Stilt-walkers, face painters and human statues will create a festival-like atmosphere, along with Backchat Brass; a seven-piece, young and funky brass band hailing from Leeds, who'll be performing in the Priory grounds before taking their brassy beats off around the race route to get spectators grooving too.
Head for the Tour Village at the top of Chaloner Street where Bike Scene of Guisborough will be holding a mini expo, and where bike checks are being provided by Middlesbrough Environment City.
More teams than ever before have entered this year, and all competitors will be sweeping round laps of a 1.3km course set around a carefully chosen section of the town.
The start/finish line on Westgate will provide a fast start to the lap and take competitors onto Church Street, before twisting and turning through Walker's Row, Northgate, Bolckow Street and a sweeping run through Priory Close.
The battle for position will heat up on Reid Terrace and Westgate Road throughout, but especially on the final lap, as the riders seek to be best placed for the 150-metre run to the finish line.
To lessen the risk of Covid_19 infection spread, visitors will be encouraged to spread out along this route as far as possible, to minimise the level of crowding. They will also be encouraged to wear masks in crowded areas, including hospitality areas, and to make use of the hand sanitising stations which will be dotted around the town. All attendees are also encouraged to take a lateral flow test in advance of attending the event and only attend if negative. People experiencing symptoms should not attend.
Councillor Louise Westbury, with responsibility for Events and Culture, said:
“We are all counting down to the Guisborough leg of the Tour Series now and it is going to be an incredible day out. So much time and effort has gone into making this a brilliant event for spectators as well as competitors, so we ask that everyone comes along, has a fantastic time and keeps themselves and others as safe as possible in the process by following the guidelines suggested. Please do not attend if you're displaying any Covid_19 symptoms and, ideally, protect yourself and others by being double vaccinated."
Extensive race day coverage will be available on the series' digital platforms, with highlights being broadcast on ITV4 at 7pm on Monday 9 August.
You can follow the Tour Series on Twitter (#TourSeries), Facebook, Instagram or via the event's official website at tourseries.co.uk
Pick up a test via https://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/coronavirus/Pages/Book-a-Test.aspx To book a vaccine, click here: Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Information on car and bike parking will be out soon. In the meantime, for more details on the Tour Series and other events going on in Redcar and Cleveland, please visit https://redcarcleveland.co.uk/enjoy