As Cheltenham prepares to host a stage finish for the OVO Energy Tour of Britain cycle race for the first time, details of how traffic will be affected have been announced.

The world's top professional cyclists arrive in Cheltenham on Saturday, September 9.

Parking suspensions will be in place across various town centre streets from 8pm Friday September 8. Areas affected will be Imperial Square, Montpellier and Pittville.

Following this, road closures in the town centre will come into effect from 4:45am on Saturday September 9, with roads beginning to reopen from 4pm onwards.

On the day, Imperial Lane and Montpellier Street - from Fauconberg Road to St Georges Road - will see a reversal of the one way system to allow for access.

Rolling road closures will be in place throughout the tour. There will be an approximate delay of 20 minutes to minimise disruption and to keep spectators safe. Normal traffic and parking conditions should be resumed by 7:30pm on Saturday.

The route has been approved by Tour of Britain officials and the county council says it has carried out its own detailed inspection to ensure a safe experience for riders and spectators alike. Additional work has been completed near the Cheltenham stage finish line to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Cllr Vernon Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: "We are delighted to be part of this year's Tour of Britain. And are really looking forward to welcoming some of the world's best cyclists to the county.

"We hope that major events like this will visit Gloucestershire again and that residents and visitors will continue to choose cycling as a form of leisure and transport within our beautiful county."

Residents and visitors are being reminded to allow extra time for travel during the event as an extra 25,000 people are expected to sweep into Cheltenham.

Cheltenham General Hospital will be accessible to the public at all times, however, Gloucestershire County Council would encourage residents to allow extra time for travel and appointments during the event.

Councillor Rowena Hay, cabinet member for finance at Cheltenham Borough Council, said; "We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable time on the day.

"Cheltenham is looking forward to welcoming an incredible amount of visitors to the town for this festival and so it's a top priority for us to work closely with our partners to make sure everything runs smoothly."

The 2017 OVO Energy Tour of Britain takes place from Sunday 3rd to Sunday 10th September, and includes eight stages over eight days of racing.

Updates will be posted via social media @GlosCC and @GlosRoads and on the website.