TOMORROW'S revival of the Milk Race in Nottingham should cement the city's place as the regional capital of cycling.
The competition will whiz through city centre streets 20 years after it last appeared in Britain.
It is coming back as a one-day festival of cycling, based around Old Market Square, with Olympic stars taking part in the race itself.
Gary Smerdon-White, Greater Nottingham Transport Partnership chairman and executive chairman of cycle training company Ridewise, said: "If you look over the previous five years, Leicester and Derby have had a lot of funding and events to do with cycling, but there's no doubt we've overtaken them.
"We are the cycling centre for the East Midlands, there's no doubt."
More than 10,000 people are expected to gather in the city's streets on Sunday for the event.
It follows a massive turn-out in Nottingham for the start of a stage of the tour of Britain in September last year, with Olympic champion and Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins riding through the streets.
Next month, Cycle Live Nottingham – a three-day celebration of cycling around the Victoria Embankment – wheels in.
The festival, on June 23, will conclude with the 32nd running of the Great Notts Bike Ride.
Mr Smerdon-White added: "There is a big uptake in cycling locally for that, and that's down to cycling -related infrastructure.
"We've got cycling routes on all the radial routes and Citycard Cycle Hubs. We are doing really well. In cycling terms we punch above our weight.
The race starts at 11am tomorrow and lasts all day, with the men's race at 5.45pm.
Major names like Ed Clancy, Stephen Burke and Dani King will be taking part, with the public also able to ride the course from Old Market Square, up Friar Lane and St Peter's Gate to Long Row.
Former double world cycling champion Tony Doyle, race director, said spectators will be just inches from the action.
He said: "Cycling is one of those sports that's so accessible to the public. Riders are not prima donnas, they have got their feet on the ground.
"Tomorrow is a world-class event in Nottingham and it's free to go to. We're hoping it's really going to bring the city to life."
The milk race, a two-week stage race which ran for 33 years between 1958 and 1993, was the most prestigious cycling event in the British calendar.
Notts racer Alice Cobb, 17, from Clipston-on-the-Wolds, is taking part in the women's elite event in her first season of elite racing.
Councillor Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, and keen cyclist, said: "This Sunday will be a special day for Nottingham. Hosting The Milk Race event after such a long absence will create a buzz around the city and to top it off we have local young person Alice Cobb participating.
"We hope everyone across Nottingham comes to enjoy the activities and support Alice."
Follow all the action from the Milk Race on our live blog at nottinghampost.com.
We will be bringing you pictures and live updates from the men's elite race from 5.30pm tomorrow.
Join in with #milkrace and tweet your pictures to @nottingham_post.
