The Tour of Britain is heading to Gloucestershire again this month – but this year it really steps up a gear.

That’s because the penultimate stage of the eight-day cycling spectacular will actually finish in the heart of Cheltenham, just a few bike lengths short of the iconic Queen’s Hotel in The Prom.

“That’s what makes this year’s event so exciting,” said Robin Mainwaring, chairman of Cheltenham and County Cycling Club. ”In the past, we’ve had the Tour of Britain come through the county but we’ve never held a finish for the modern version of the race.”

It means the everyday Saturday shoppers – the Tour’s seventh stage comes to Cheltenham on 9th September – may get more than they bargained for, while supporters of the race will be able to see some of the best cyclists from around the world up close and personal in the Imperial Gardens and surrounding areas.

So, what makes the race so exciting?

“It’s the build-up,” Mainwaring said. “You’ve got the cars coming through, the motorbikes, there’s a helicopter overhead. Then there’s a ‘whoosh’ as the cyclists in all their various colours race through. It’s spectacular.”

The penultimate stage starts in Hemel Hempstead before arriving in the Cotswolds. It takes in Bourton-on-the-Water, Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh before going through Winchcombe and over Cleeve Hill.

“The cyclists then go down Southam Lane, turn left at Smiths’ crossroads towards the racecourse and on into the centre of the town,” said Mainwaring.

“They then turn right at Clarks’ corner and left at Boots’ corner and straight down The Prom, past Neptune’s Fountain and finish halfway up the hill about 50 yards from the Queens Hotel at about 3.30pm.”

The race, which used to be known as the Milk Race, has grown in popularity in recent years on the back of Great Britain’s cycling success at both the Olympics and in the Tour de France.

It is now one of the major events on the sporting calendar and Mainwaring, who describes himself as a “leisure cyclist”, is full of praise for the way Cheltenham Borough Council has embraced the event.

“They’ve gone about it exactly the right way,” he said. “They haven’t promised things they can’t deliver but at the same time they obviously see that the event is good for the town and want to make it a success.

“They’ve also kept their options open for next year as well. In 2018 Cheltenham has the option of hosting another stage finish, hosting a stage start or having no involvement at all.”

As a keen cyclist Mainwaring will obviously hope that it’s not the latter and that residents will not be too upset if their normal Saturday routine is interrupted to some degree.

So how will Mainwaring judge whether this year’s event has been a success?

“It will be a success if we encourage more people to get on their bicycles,” he said. “We have a problem with the ring-road in Cheltenham because there are just too many cars on it.

“If just 20 per cent of those drivers got on their bikes instead then there wouldn’t be a problem.

“Cycling for the vast majority of people is not about being an athletic god who can ride at 25mph so it’s the journeyman cyclist who will determine if the Tour of Britain is a success.

“Our club now has over 300 members but we all need more everyday cyclists in the town itself.”

The Tour of Britain starts in Edinburgh on 3rd September and finishes in Cardiff on 10th September.