THE British Cycling National Road Championships come to Stockton next month. But when the peloton has crossed the finish line and the riders have unclipped their shoes, what is the impact of hosting such a high profile event?

Some might think in these times of austerity, a local authority would have more pressing issues to spends taxpayers' money on.

But while the costs of staging this year's event, which begins on June 23 and runs until June 26, must be considerable, Stockton Borough Council says the benefits far outweigh the outlay.

Last year, more than 11,000 people visited the festival, which featured as its climax the Stockton Grand Prix, more than just a dry run for this year's championships.

This year, the council expects to see a sharp increase in numbers, but that is not the sole way of judging the event's success.

"Cycling as a whole is of strategic importance to the Council in two ways," Councillor Norma Wilburn – Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture – told On Two Wheels. "Firstly, there are a range of health benefits to be considered as we seek to engage people in active leisure which hopefully, in turn, will lead to an increase in healthy lifestyle choices.

"The Council offers a comprehensive programme of guided cycle rides via the Hub to increase participants’ confidence in cycling on road networks and to encourage more people to get into cycling through a social setting.

"Cycle trainers employed by the Council also deliver ‘Bikeability’ sessions to local schoolchildren which delivers cycling proficiency skills – designed to give the next generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today’s roads.

"Secondly, cycling events of this nature have a proven ability to attract large crowds – with approximately 11,000 people visiting the Stockton Cycling Festival over three days in 2015.

"This increased level of footfall into the regenerated Stockton Town Centre, from residents of the Borough itself and visitors from around the country, has a positive contribution to economic growth and the vibrancy of the town.

"With the arrival of the prestigious British Cycling National Road Championships, there is a clear opportunity to showcase Stockton Town Centre and the wider Borough as a great place to live, work and play."

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