Tour of Britain in Suffolk: Everything you need to know

Tom Pidcock is among the British riders taking part in this year's event

Final preparations are under way as Suffolk prepares to host a stage of the Tour of Britain.

The fifth stage of the men's elite cycle race will start and finish in Felixstowe later.

BBC News looks ahead to the event.

• In pictures: The Tour of Britain arrives in Suffolk

What is the Tour of Britain?

The event is the UK's biggest professional cycle race.

With a worldwide television audience of more than 30 million and an anticipated 1.4 million roadside spectators, the race is Britain's largest free-to-attend sporting event. It is credited with contributing £19m to the UK economy, organisers say.

The first stage started in Greater Manchester on Sunday and was won by Dutchman Olav Kooij. The eight-stage event finishes in south Wales, next Sunday.

• Kooij wins stage one of Tour of Britain in Manchester

• Huge crowds turn out for Tour of Britain launch

• Crowds line streets for final leg of Women's Tour

It is the first time the event has visited Suffolk since 2017.

Stages are also being held in Wrexham, Nottinghamshire, East Yorkshire and Essex.

What are the timings?

The route passed through Holbrook

Thursday's Suffolk stage will start at Felixstowe seafront at 10:45 BST.

The first finishers are expected to return to Sea Road at about 15:34.

What is the route?

The Suffolk stage will cover 119 miles (192km).

After leaving Felixstowe, cyclists will complete a clockwise route around the south-east corner of the county.

This year will mark Suffolk's first time as stage starting point

Organisers have released approximate timings for locations along the stage, which include:

• Kesgrave (11:14)

• Ipswich (11:26)

• Brantham (12:09)

• East Bergholt (12:17)

• Bildeston (12:43)

• Needham Market (13:04)

• Stowmarket (13:12)

• Framlingham (13:56)

• Saxmundham (14:13)

• Woodbridge (14:58)

The route includes a pair of category three hill climbs at Freston (11:35) and Holbrook (12:00), on the Shotley peninsula.

Hadleigh (12:32) will welcome the peloton for a sprint section.

The final section on the return to Felixstowe replicates the finale of the Women's Tour in 2021, a stage that saw a memorable victory for the then world champion Elisa Balsamo in front of 10,000 spectators.

Full route details and timings are available here.

The Tour of Britain passed through Framlingham in 2017

Which riders should I look out for?

Spain's Gonzalo Serrano is the defending champion, racing for Movistar Team, but he is expected to be challenged by Belgium's Jumbo-Visma rider Wout van Aert, who won in 2021, and finished second in Sunday's stage in Manchester.

Britain's Tom Pidcock, who recently won the mountain bike World Championships and rode this year's Tour de France, will also take part for Ineos Grenadiers.

2021 winner Wout van Aert is expected to challenge defending champion Gonzalo Serrano for the title

Among 24 other British riders are Jacob Scott (Bolton Equities Black Spoke), newly-crowned track world champion Ethan Vernon (Great Britain), and Tour de Yorkshire stage winner Harry Tanfield (TDT - Unibet Cycling Team).

A full list of entrants is available here.

How will it affect the roads?

Since 21 August, parking suspension signs have been positioned in areas where on-street restrictions will apply for the event.

No waiting cones will be put in position on Wednesday and residents have been asked to remove vehicles from these areas before restrictions come into force.

The race operates with rolling road closures for about 15 minutes prior to the estimated time of arrival until approximately 10 minutes after the last rider has passed.

Suffolk landmarks along the Tour route have been lit up to promote the upcoming race, such as Framlingham Castle

People travelling along the route on Thursday are advised to plan their journeys accordingly.

For the start and finish in Felixstowe, some roads will be closed for the duration of the event.

Full information on road closures is available here.

Where does the Tour go next?

After Suffolk, the Tour moves to Essex for stage six covering the 146km (91 miles) from Southend to Harlow.

How can I watch?

The race is held on public roads, meaning there are plenty of places to see the action.

Some of the best views will be on long, straight sections as they allow spectators to see riders approaching.

The hill climbs at Freston and Holbrook are expected to be popular with fans, as is the sprint section in Hadleigh.

Organisers said Felixstowe offered the best opportunity to "make a day" of the event.

Anyone wanting to watch at the roadside is asked to avoid parking on the race route, in laybys or on road verges in order to avoid getting in the way of the peloton.

Caleb Ewan won the stage when the Tour of Britain was last in Suffolk in 2017