THE world’s top cyclists will make their way through the region next weekend for the opening stage of the Tour of Britain.

Heading out from Scunthorpe on Saturday morning, the riders are expected to hit Pocklington shortly after 12.30pm for the sprint section, before heading on to the finishing line in York.

Thousands of cycling fans ere expected to line the 107-mile route and Pocklington will be holding an exhibition of the history of cycling in the town to coincide with race.

Pocklington and Wolds Gateway Partnership will use the exhibition in the New Youth Centre to consult both residents and visitors about how Pocklington can be made more welcoming to cyclists.

Free maps of local cycling routes will be available.

Meanwhile, in York, the city council has laid on a family fun day at the finishing line, which will include activities for children as well as a cycling maintenance demonstration and a folding bicycle race.

Visit York, the official tourism body for the city, said hosting the Tour of Britain was another major coup for the region.

Kay Hyde, of Visit York, said: “From our perspective, this is an immensely good opportunity for York to host another world-class sporting event.

“It puts York on the map and makes it clear we are good at hosting these sort of things.

“We have been promoting stays in York on the back of this event and we are estimating between 5,000 and 10,000 turning up to watch the race along the route. But we are expecting more to want to be there at the end of the route.

She described the Tour of Britain as a “high-profile event” and compared it with the world-famous Tour de France.

“It is the highest calibre competition and creates a lot of media interest which will be going world-wide,” she said.

According to organisers, the Tour of Britain is the UK’s biggest professional bicycle race and “a centrepiece of the British sporting calendar”. Competing in the Tour Of Britain will be Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, who finished fourth in this year’s Tour de France.

The family fun day runs from 10am to 5pm on Monk Stray.