MARK Cavendish and Lizzie Armitstead lead the list of star names taking to the streets in this month's Stockton Cycling Festival.
The festival runs from June 23 to 26 and features as its highlight the British Cycling National Road Championships.
The pool of premier competitors includes Cavendish, Armitstead, Alex Dowsett, Emma Pooley and Dame Sarah Storey.
Lizzie Armitstead
Dimension Data rider Cavendish leads a strong line-up in the men’s road race field as the 2013 British Champion and 2011 World Champion competes against Team Sky contenders Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift, as well as former under-23 champion Scott Thwaites.
Cavendish will be looking to head to the Tour De France with domestic honours in the bag.
World Road Champion Lizzie Armitstead is set to defend her national title against a host of strong challengers, including former Junior World Road Champion Lucy Garner, second place in the recent Tour de Yorkshire, Olympic track champion Dani King and the current British Cycling Women’s Road Series leader Nicola Juniper.
The road races take place on Sunday, June 26 with men's and women's time trials happening on Thursday, June 23.
On the Friday, June 24, youth racing takes over, while the popular Sportive returns on Saturday, June 25.
There will be a StreetVelodrome on the High Street on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Councillor Norma Wilburn, Stockton Borough Council’s cabinet member for arts, leisure and culture, said: “To see such a first class list of cycling stars set to arrive in Stockton and compete in some of the sport’s most prestigious races is incredibly exciting.
“There are some real household names among them including Mark Cavendish and Lizzie Armitstead and that just shows how much of a premier sporting event this really is.
"This is a chance to come to Stockton and see some world class athletes battle it out for sporting glory.
“This year’s Stockton Cycling Festival, with the added excitement of the British Cycling National Road Championships, will be an event that is remembered for many years to come.
"I’d encourage everyone to bring their friends and family down to Stockton and get involved in the excitement.”
- To view the full rider entry list, visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/nationalroadchampionships
- For a full list of road closures visit www.stockton.gov.uk/cycling
- For more information on the Stockton Cycling Festival and the British Cycling National Road Championships, visit www.stockton.gov.uk/cyclingfestival
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