ABERGAVENNY is right up there among the best cycling venues in the UK, believes British road ace Dean Downing.

On the day of his daughter Lily's second birthday, the Rotherham man will travel hundreds of miles to Monmouthshire and back in order to compete in the Get Connected Welsh Open Criteriums.

The July 8 race, filmed by Sky Sports, also forms part of the British Cycling Elite Circuit Series, and Downing, who bagged a double victory in the 2008 Welsh Open Criteriums and the Grand Prix of Wales is out once more to stake his claim on the streets of our fair town.

As host of round three of the five-round Elite Circuit Series, Abergavenny is the only leg of the series in the south of the UK, and no doubt Downing can't wait to pump his pedals and feel the burn.

The 36-year-old said, "I think Abergavenny has got a huge amount to offer cycling at the minute and it's really great that they are able to put events on of a national standard like this.

"Bill (Owen) has been around cycling for a very long time and he has got a good team around him to put these sort of things on.

"Abergavenny is right up there as the best organised events in the country. When we had the National Road Race Championships in 2009, I saw the pictures of my team-mate Kristian House winning and the crowds there were four deep - which is unheard of in domestic cycling."

The Welsh Open Criterium is just one of three races held on the night around the twisting but testing circuit in the town centre.

And with national ranking points and prize money on the line, there will be no holds barred as the riders go all out to claim the top spot.

Downing, who rides with House for the Rapha Condor Sharp stable, added, "Our riders always do well in these sort of races and some of them will be targeting the crits this season rather than the road races."

The cyclist is also adamant that he will avoid a repeat of last year and play second fiddle to Lancashire's Ian Wilkinson again, "Second means nothing. If I came second to Lance Armstrong, nobody would be bothered but, if I beat him, everyone would talk about it," said a determined Downing.

So, with his tried and tested knowledge of the circuit, Downing believes he has every chance of landing the Welsh Open title again and said, "It will be a nice birthday present for my two-year-old daughter."

The Welsh Open Criterium will be the highlight of an evening which will also feature Youth Races and a Traders Race, where businessmen from around Abergavenny ride around the circuit that the Elite stars will later navigate.

All in all, it will be a fitting opening night for the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling which features two mass participation, public rides - the Iron Mountain Sportif and the Tour of the Black Mountains - on Saturday July 9 and Sunday July 10.