Crowds set to turn out as Tour of Britain rides by

Defending champion Sir Bradley Wiggins will join Mark Cavendish in the event, which began on Monday with a 64-mile (104km) route around the centre of Liverpool.

Today the riders are travelling 125 miles (200km) from Knowsley to Llandudno, and tomorrow they will set off from Newtown to travel 119miles, finishing with an ascent up The Tumble, on the outskirts of Abergavenny in Monmouthshire.

And one of the men behind Shropshire's biggest cycling events said that anyone with even the slightest interest in two wheels should not miss the opportunity to see some of the sport's biggest names in action.

Nick Jeggo, who with his father, Mick, co-organised the hugely popular floodlit Newport Nocturne cycle race that brought thousands of people to the town last month, said the Tour of Britain had grown in stature over the years.

Back in February the UCI, cycling's governing body, awarded the Tour hors catégorie status, the second-highest ranking possible for a professional cycling event.

Mr Jeggo said that elevation in status, together with the race being one of the last in the cycling calendar means the world's top riders will all want to take part.

"There are not many races after the Tour of Britain so there is a lot riding on the race for everyone involved," he said.

Amongst the star attractions will be Tour de France and Olympic gold medal winner Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Fellow Tour de France winner Mark Cavendish is also taking part while Mr Jeggo believes Nicolas Roche, who rides for Team Tinkoff-Saxo, could be the rider to look out for.

He said: "Bradley Wiggins is riding for Sky and of course he is going to be a big contender. Sky have put in the strongest team I have ever seen.

"But we don't know how fit Wiggins is.

"He was supposed to ride in the Tour of Spain but he didn't take part.

"This race is so interesting because six men are in each team so it makes it harder for one team to control the race.

"There are lots of teams but low numbers so it will be very tactical and most of the teams have brought sprinters so it looks like they are going for stage wins."

Mr Jeggo believes home advantage could be key for the British racers, with riders from abroad often struggling with the steep hills found on our our roads.

"Riders from the continent can often get caught out here because they are used to big, flat roads or mountains like the Pyrenees or Alps" Mr Jeggo said.

"When they come to Britain the short, sharp climbs can catch them out. European riders expect it to be like racing in Belgium or Holland because we are so close."

A former car salesman, Mr Jeggo worked with his father Mick at their family garage for many years before deciding to sell up last year.

He now works full-time in cycling in a variety of roles including refereeing, commentating and has even helped build tracks in velodromes in Hong Kong and Germany.

Back home, though, Mr Jeggo is best known for being part of the team that organises the Newport Nocturne.

And the cycling enthusiast truly believes cycling is a sport on the up.

He said: "It's absolutely massive and only getting bigger. In the last five years we have had three sports personalities of the year with Chris Hoy, Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins.

"It's become a sport that the public is really taking to its heart. This year three stages of the Tour de France were held in Britain and there were thousands of people out to see the stars of the sports."

That success could be seen in Newport on August 30 when thousands turned to watch riders dash along the cobbled streets for Britain's original floodlit cycle race.

Mr Jeggo, said: "We had a massive crowd on the day and the atmosphere really was electric and that was all because of the wonderful support we received."

Drivers are warned of rolling road closures on Tour of Britain route:

Drivers in Mid Wales are being warned of rolling road closures on Tuesday when the Tour of Britain rides into Newtown and through the Brecon Beacons.

None of the roads will be closed off during the race but Powys County Council said that the team behind one of cycling's greatest spectacles would set up rolling road closures. The tour will set off from Newtown High Street from 11am with a parade lap of the town centre.

Cyclists will then climb out of the town on the A483 to Dolfor, continuing the climb on the B4355 to Knighton.

Spokesman for Powys County Council, John Evans, said that the responsibility for the road safety measures during the race lay not with the council but with the Tour organisers.

"They have a fleet of police that travel with them that set up rolling road closures as the race progresses," he said.

"TheTour of Britain has had signs out along the entire length of the route for several days now, warning that there will be disruption on the roads."

Sir Bradley Wiggins, who is defending his Tour of Britain title, has been named as the lead of Team Sky's squad for the race.