RESIDENTS are bracing themselves for what is tipped to be one of the biggest events in the cycling race calendar.

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series is back for a fourth year in Redditch on May 19, and is regarded as one of the leading events hosted by Worcestershire County Council.

The Kingfisher Shopping Centre will be holding a Watt Bike cycling challenge in Worcester Square at 10am before the main events kick off outside at 2pm in Redditch town centre.

A local race guide, which can be picked up on the day or downloaded from the Tour Series Redditch website in advance, has now been released with a packed itinerary.

It boasts an event village with more than 25 stalls, along with entertainment, community and business races during the afternoon.

Professional cyclists will thrill the crowds late into the evening, with the Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Women's race at 6pm.

The Pearl Izumi Tour Series Men's race begins at 7.30pm.

Ed Dursley, Worcestershire County Council project manager, said: With an established track record of regularly pulling in more than 10,000 spectators and bringing vast sums of money into the local economy, the Pearl Izumi Tour Series is a key part of our World Class Worcestershire vision."

Affy Qadeer, local entrepreneur and Worcestershire LEP Business Board representative, said: “The Tour Series Redditch stage has grown massively from inception to now. It has become one of the biggest events in Redditch’s calendar and our 2014 impact report shows it has one of the highest viewing figures on ITV4 - watched by 397,000 viewers and with an actual attendance of 12,500.

“The Tour Series has made a positive impact on Redditch’s local economy and it brings the town and people from all communities together, whilst putting a spotlight on sustainable transport and getting more people cycling. It has fantastic support from all partners and it is great that this exciting event is once again being hosted in Redditch, which is part of World Class Worcestershire.”

Ken Williams, Manager of the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, said: "We're delighted to be the leading local sponsor for this fantastic event, which has already been a roaring success for the past three years."

Visitors can leave their vehicles in car parks 1 or 4 of the Kingfisher Shopping Centre, which will be open late into the evening after the event concludes at around 9pm.

For more information, visit tourseriesredditch.co.uk.