WORCESTER is gearing up to play a major part in the biggest cycling event on the British calendar this year.

It has been selected to host part of the Tour of Britain cycle race - our equivalent of the Tour De France.

Worcestershire County Council is paying most of the costs and Worcester City Council has now backed the event too, pledging to support the race by donating £5,000.

The city will host stage three of the event, with 96 cyclists starting in Worcester and heading towards Malvern then on to Wolverhampton.

Pitchcroft car park will be used for the start of the event on Wednesday September 12.

Top cyclists such as Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, Roger Hammond and Mark Cavendish are all being asked to take part in the race.

Councillor Francis Lankester, city cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said: "This race has been likened to the Tour De France. It's not as big as that, but to try to push it along the way to becoming our version of it, Worcester will do its bit.

"When you look at the number of people it will attract to the city and the business it will generate, the financial reward will be many times the £5,000 we are contributing.

"It is very good value for money and means we are doing our bit. It's our duty to promote the Tour of Britain, which I hope will go from strength to strength."

The seven-stage event, which lasts a total of six days, will start in London and finish in Glasgow.

It is the first time part of the event will take place in Worcester, with the county council funding most of the £30,000 cost.

It will feature cyclists from around the world, including Belgium, France, Denmark and the US.

A spokeswoman for the county council said: "Most of the funding is coming from us, as well as the management of it. It is certainly a major event for the county."

Paul Rowlands, on behalf of Tour of Britain, said: "This is the first time part of the race has been staged in Worcester, and gives us a great opportunity to see the Malvern hills.

"It's a very professional event, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of cyclists to become hooked on the sport."