EXCITEMENT is mounting in West Craven as it prepares for next week's Tour of Britain cycle race.

Significant disruption is expected on Monday as stage two of the eight-stage race steams into Pendle and the Ribble Valley, as well as a small part of North Yorkshire.

A total of 120 riders representing 20 teams from all over the world will take part in eight days of racing, which starts in Wales on Sunday and reaches to its climax in London on September 13.

Monday's second stage will set off from Clitheroe at 11am and finish 100 miles later in Colne at about 3pm.

Some roads will be closed, while others along the route – including in West Marton, Barnoldswick and Earby – will be subject to rolling road closures of between 20 minutes and an hour.

Lengthier road closures will take place at sprint points and King of the Mountain climbs, such as Skipton Road in Barnoldswick and at Stoney Bank in Earby.

The race is expected to reach West Marton – along the A59 from Bolton-by-Bowland and Gisburn – at about 1.30pm, from where it will turn sharply right along Gledstone Road and then right again onto the B6252 into Barnoldswick.

It expected to reach Earby at about 1.45pm before heading towards Barley and Chatburn at just after 2pm, back into Clitheroe and then onto Whalley, Nelson and the finish in Colne.

Pendle Borough Council has issued letters to households and businesses along the route in West Craven, and signs have been up for more than a week warning of expected delays.

Major hold-ups are expected along the A59 between Copster Green and West Marton, and on the A56 between Broughton and Burnley.

Many minor roads near the route throughout Ribble Valley and Pendle will also be affected, along with a number of bus services.

Councillor John Fillis, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, urged people to plan ahead.

He said: "Some disruption is inevitable in the local area, whether you're planning to watch the race or simply need to travel for other reasons.

"The more people think ahead about how their journeys may be affected, and make use of the information available, the smoother it will be for everyone."

A full timetable and map of the route is available on the official tourofbritainstage2.co.uk website.