All you need to know about Tour of Britain in Suffolk

The Tour of Britain racers will zoom through Framlingham and other Suffolk towns and villages next week

The world's best cyclists will whizz through the streets of Suffolk next week as the country's biggest bike race gets under way.

The Lloyd's Tour of Britain Men will take place between 2 and 7 September, with the county hosting the first two of the event's six stages.

During the opening day of the free-to-watch race, cyclists will travel through East Suffolk before taking in West Suffolk and Babergh the following day.

In total, the pedal-pushing professionals, including Olympic, world and Tour de France champions, will cover 342 km (212 miles) of Suffolk roads.

Here's everything you need to know about what is described as "one of the most prestigious sporting events" in cycling's global calendar.

The first stage of the race will pass through East Suffolk

What routes will the cyclists take while they are in Suffolk?

This year's Tour of Britain marks the first time Suffolk will host two stages and the first time the opening stage of the race has been held in the county since 2012.

On Tuesday the cyclists will line-up in Woodbridge for the opening stage, setting off from Station Road at 11:00 BST before heading to Grundisburgh.

Over the following four hours, they will pass through Wickham Market, Snape, Aldeburgh, Leiston, Saxmundham, Framlingham, Halesworth, Bungay, Beccles and Wrentham, before finishing on North Parade, in Southwold at about 15:05.

In total they will cover 168 km (104 miles).

The following day the race passes through Mid Suffolk and Babergh

The following day, for stage two, the bikers will both start and finish in Stowmarket, with the 174 km (108 mile) leg beginning at 11:00 in the market town.

The cyclists will then zip through Stonham Aspal, Debenham, Stradbroke, Walsham le Willows, Lavenham, Sudbury, Stoke-by-Nayland, Hadleigh and Hitcham.

They will cross the finish line back in Stowmarket on Ipswich Street at about 15:16.

Andy Hawes, route director for the event, said: "To come back for two stages in Suffolk is just incredible and the event is always well supported here.

"I've driven the two Suffolk routes four times, so I know them reasonably well.

"Suffolk is very good and both councils have been absolutely amazing and repaired bits of road where we have needed it. But the roads are actually in very good condition here."

The race will see 114 riders from 20 different nations go wheel-to-wheel

Who are the cyclists taking part?

The race pack will comprise of 114 riders representing 19 teams and 20 different nations and feature both experienced and upcoming professional cyclists.

Great Britain's team will consist of six riders, two of which - Ben Chilton and Huw Buck-Jones – will make their debuts in what is Britain's biggest professional cycle race.

They will line-up alongside Ben Wiggins and Josh Golliker, with Josh Charlton and Matt Bostock completing the team.

Geraint Thomas, who became Tour de France champion in 2018, will put the brakes on his career after the Tour of Britain

Matt Brammeier, director sportif for the Great Britain Cycling Team said: "For me, every time a rider pulls on the Great Britain jersey, they have the chance to inspire, which I think is incredibly special.

"With this year's Lloyds Tour of Britain I've brought together a mix of proven and experienced riders and those stepping up, giving them the platform to show what they can do to make the next steps in their careers. I'm certainly excited to see what we can do."

Olympic road race and time trial champion Remo Evenepoel and double world road race champion Julian Alaphilippe are also expected to turnout for the event.

As will 2018 Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas, in what will be his final professional race, and 2020 British Grand Tour champion Tao Geoghegan Hart.

The full list of riders can be found here.

Rolling road closures will be put in place throughout Suffolk during the race

Will there be road closures in Suffolk?

As is the case with any cycle race event of this magnitude, many roads throughout Suffolk will have to be closed in order for the Tour of Britain to go ahead as safely as possible.

The event will operate a 'rolling road closure' system rather than a full road closure to "minimise disruption to the local community as much as possible".

This means the roads should only be closed for approximately 30 to 40 minutes at a time, while the racers passes through each town or village.

The full list of road closures for Stage 1 can be found here, while the roads that will be impacted by Stage 2 are listed here.

Derek Davis, from Babergh District Council, said anybody who is not happy about the race taking place in Suffolk would have to "suck it up"

What do residents think of the event?

Well, while some are very much looking forward to the sight of the world's best and fastest cyclists speeding through their streets, others are not so keen on the idea.

But Derek Davis, economic development portfolio holder for Babergh District Council, told the BBC they will just have to "suck it up".

"They were grumpy yesterday, they will be grumpy tomorrow and they will be grumpy whatever day," he said.

"Grumpy people are just grumpy people, but the overriding benefits are there for everybody.

"Yes, it can be a bit inconvenient because a road is closed, but the event is so well organised now. So, I am sorry, but they just need to suck it up for a day."

Nick Khan, director at East Suffolk Council, told the BBC the event would help showcase the best of the county

How will the event benefit Suffolk?

Nick Khan, director at East Suffolk Council, believes the event can help drive interest in the county and boost the local economy.

"We have a lot to show-off in terms of beautiful countryside, villages, towns, great businesses and hospitality," he said.

"So, I think it is a bit of a shop window for our county - what's better than a world class major sporting event?"

Steve Grimwood, who owns Elmy Cycles in Ipswich, agrees.

"It is absolutely fantastic for showcasing the area and for tourism, you see all these people coming out to support the event and watch the race," he added.

"It is fantastic to be able to show Suffolk in a really good light to lots of people from not only the country but also from around the world.

"But one of the big messages it gets out there is that cycling is a fantastic way of keeping fit and getting around."

Bike shop owner Steve Grimwood hopes the race will shine a light on the benefits of cyclist

Where else is the race taking place?

While the race may be getting under way in Suffolk, the cyclists will still have a lot of road to cover once they leave the county next Wednesday afternoon.

After finishing up in Stowmarket, the bikers will line-up in Milton Keynes the next day for Stage 3, which will conclude in Ampthill, and then in Atherstone for Stage 4, which will end in Burton Dassett Hills Country Park.

On Saturday, the race will take the cyclists to Pontypool and then onto The Tumble, before the sporting spectacular concludes the next day with Stage 6, which will start in Newport and end in Cardiff.

The Lloyd's Tour of Britain Men cycling event will race through parts of Suffolk on 2 and 3 September

'We can't wait for race to start in Suffolk'

Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said: "Everything is in place for what will be another incredible edition of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men.

"It's great to be able to welcome this world-class line-up of teams and riders to the race and it is testament to the status of the event.

"Like the fans, we now cannot wait for the racing to start in East Suffolk next week, and look forward to the joy and excitement that each of the six stages will bring to communities and spectators along the route, plus all of those watching the live broadcast at home, and around the world."