THE Wye Valley will form one of the core stages of the Tour of Britain this year.

The Tour Britain, the British Cycling’s premier road cycling event gives cycling fans the opportunity to see the world’s best teams and riders competing on their doorstep.

The Stage five on September 8, which runs for 205km (127 miles from Aberdare to Bath, will take the riders international peddlers through the Wye Valley and into the Forest of Dean and Gloucestershire via the Bigsweir Bridge, passing iconic landmarks such as Tintern Abbey.

The region is a prime destination for cyclists, with the A466 through the Wye Valley being a big popular route for road cyclists.

Commenting on the stages, Tour of Britain race director Mick Bennett said: “We are looking forward to this year’s Tour of Britain and taking in new venues and new climbs.

“These stages will be amongst the hardest in the Tour, and this year is no different with both stages in excess of 200 kilometres and containing plenty of climbing.”

Important features of stage five the race include the first Yodel Sprint of the day in which will take place Monmouth Road, Usk.

Commenting on the area’s inclusion in the Tour of Britain, Ian Officer, chairman of Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism and owner of Pedalabikeway, said: “We welcome all sorts of cyclists to the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean.

“The Tour is a great opportunity to show what we have to offer across Monmouthshire and Gloucestershire as we have some of the best cycling you can find in the UK.”

First minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: “I hope being part of the Tour of Britain will continue to inspire people in Wales to take up sport – and with 2016 being Wales’ Year of Adventure, this is the perfect time for people to get active and plan a sporting adventure.”

The Tour of Britain starts on Sunday, September 4, in Glasgow and lasts eight days, finishing in London.

For more information about stage five,or the tour itself, visit tourofbritain.co.uk