Daventry district residents encouraged to cheer on Women's Tour on Sunday

The tour, which features elite cyclists including British Olympic silver medallists Emma Pooley and Lizzie Armitstead and multiple world champion Marianne Vos, will visit Daventry as well as around a dozen villages in the district.

Riders will start the 113km route in Northampton town centre at 10.45am and finish in Kettering at about 2pm.

Daventry district will host the day’s two major climbs – at Newnham Hill and on the approach to Naseby – as riders compete for the Queen of the Mountains title.

The race will also come to Daventry town centre for the first time, travelling along London Road and New Street before heading out of town via Eastern Way.

There will be events and activities in the town centre for visitors to enjoy, and people are encouraged to line the route to cheer on the cyclists, who should be arriving in town at about 11.50am.

Some villages along the route, including Farthingstone and Guilsborough, are holding community events to celebrate the tour’s arrival with grant support from Daventry District Council.

The route will take in Stowe IX Churches, Farthingstone, Preston Capes, Newnham, Norton, Whilton Locks, Little Brington, Great Brington, East Haddon, Ravensthorpe, Coton, Guilsborough, Naseby, Kelmarsh and Arthingworth.

There will be a rolling road closure along the route managed by a team of police and specialist cycle race motorcyclists travelling about 15-20 minutes in advance of the riders to ensure that the route is clear and safe. It is expected that roads will be closed for between 20 and 30 minutes at a time.

People can download special Aviva Women’s Tour posters which include a route map and estimated arrival times at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/womenstour

The Northamptonshire stage is the final one of five, with riders visiting Suffolk, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire/Staffordshire in the first four stages. Coverage of the race will air on ITV4.

Councillor Alan Hills, community, culture and leisure portfolio holder on Daventry District Council, said: “The Aviva Women’s Tour promises to be a fantastic event for our district, and I want to encourage everyone to turn out along the route and make some noise to cheer the cyclists on. Let’s give them a really warm welcome to our beautiful district.

“There are some big names taking part, many of which are likely to compete in the Rio Olympics later in the summer, so it’s a great opportunity for local people to watch world-class cycling on their doorstep.

“With more than a dozen district villages on the route and two Queen of the Mountains climbs, at Newnham and Naseby, there should be plenty of excitement and drama for spectators and I’m sure that wherever people choose to watch the race, they will appreciate what a spectacular event it is.”