THE Otley Town Centre Cycle Races have attracted a full entry for the first time in their 30-year history and race director Giles Pidcock is delighted with the response from riders.

There will be 120 in the men’s grand prix, 70 in the women’s grand prix, 120 amateur riders and 100 youths in this year’s event on Wednesday, July 1.

Pidcock said: “It is pleasing to see that riders are wanting to travel from all over the country to compete.

“Otley is firmly on the map as an event they want to take part in and having a full entry is a real boost for us.”

Any thoughts that the DM Keith Skoda Otley Cycle Races would be lower-key after the spectacular success of last-year’s event which drew a record crowd of around 20,000 when it formed part of the build up to the Tour de France Grand Depart, have been dismissed.

“There won’t be a Bernard Hinault or Christian Prudhomme at this year's race but Gary Verity, the man who masterminded the Grand Depart will be here, and we have quality fields for all the races,” said Pidcock.

Two-time winner Scott Thwaites, who won in 2011 and 2012, will contest the men’s race which is the first round of British Cycling Elite Circuit Race Series.

The Bora-Argon 18 rider will arrive in Otley after competing at Ilkley next Wednesday and riding the National Road Race Championships at Lincoln on Sunday, June 28.

He will be joined in men’s race by last year’s winner Adam Blythe (Orica GreenEDGE) and another past Otley champion Graham Briggs (JLT Condor).

The number one jersey will be worn by the Australian-born rider Steele Van Hoff (NFTO), who has been National Criterium champion for the past two years.

Dame Sarah Storey, who was pipped by Otley’s Lizzie Armitstead in last year’s Pinsent Mason Women’s Grand Prix, will be bidding to go one better this time in a race which is part of British Cycling Women’s Road Series for the first time.

Nicola Juniper (Pearl Izumi) will be among the favourites for a race that has quickly grown in stature since its launch in 2013.

Armitstead, such a huge favourite with the home crowd, is not expected to race because after National Road Race Championships on June 28, she is due to contest the ten-day Giro Rosa which starts in Slovenia on July 4.

There is also a top field in the youths race where Otley’s Tom Pidcock, son of the race director, will do battle with the current leader of the National Youth Series, Harry Hardcastle.