THE Stroud district is set to be graced by two of the greatest British cyclists currently on the road this Wednesday lunchtime.

The Friends Life Tour of Britain, which started in Liverpool on Sunday, September 7, will see defending champion and 2012 Tour de France and Olympic road race winner Sir Bradley Wiggins lead Team Sky's squad, and former world road race champion and Britain’s most successful Tour de France stage winner Mark Cavendish will be on the A46 with his Omega Pharma-QuickStep team.

The 2014 Friends Life Tour of Britain finishes in London on Sunday, September 14, taking in eight tough stages along the way.

The peloton will arrive in Painswick from 1.30pm, then Stroud around six minutes later, and Woodchester at around 1.40pm. In Nailsworth the riders will turn off the A46 in Nailsworth and head for Horsley on the B4058 Old Bristol Road and make for Wotton-under-Edge at around 2pm.

Just after 2pm the pack is expected to arrive in Charfield before heading in to South Gloucestershire and on to Bristol for a finish at around 3pm.

After the 10.30am start, the 114.8 mile stage will take in Malvern at around 11am, Upton-on-Severn at approximately 11.30am, Pershore at around 11.50am, Evesham at 12.10pm, Broadway ten minutes later, a climb at Snowshill a few minutes after that, then head in to Winchcombe for around 12.45pm. The race will take in Cleeve Hill and Prestbury, then head out of Cheltenham on Bath Road before hitting Painswick.

For more details, visit www.tourofbritain.co.uk.