ABERGAVENNY will be staging two British road races next summer as the plans for the annual Festival of Cycling programme take shape.

Just weeks after the formation of a new group that is aimed at putting the town well and truly on the national cycling map, the Festival has landed some major events

The Festival of Cycling is set to bring in thousands of pounds to the Monmouthshire economy as hotels, restaurants, cafes and shops take advantage of the influx of visitors from across the UK.

The Wales Open Criterium, one of only six events on the National Elite Series calendar, will be hosted again on the streets of the town come Friday July 12.

This evening event has proved to be highly popular with riders and spectators throughout the UK over the years.

The Iron Mountain Sportif, the mass participation ride for families and friends from beginner to club rider status, will once again be the centrepiece on Saturday July 13.

The Sportif will run alongside the annual Abergavenny Carnival which has proved to be a successful partnership in the past few years.

Yet the highlight of the weekend will be the staging of the Grand Prix of Wales, part of the Premier Road Race Series, which will feature the cream of the crop of domestic riders.

And there are plans to add a unique disability road race, one of the first of its kind in the UK, to the schedule.

Additionally, the Festival of Cycling are looking to continue the fringe events of last year which included a film show and an evening talk involving, among others, British coaching legend Shane Sutton at Abergavenny's Borough Theatre.

Festival organiser Bill Owen said, "The target is to make Abergavenny the cycling capital of Wales and the return of a major domestic road race to our area is a real signal of intent that we are heading in the right direction.

"The Grand Prix of Wales is the only road race of this size held in the Principality. It will form part of a terrific weekend of action for everyone - both competitive and leisure riders.

"The formation of the group in conjunction with many other parties and organisations is an outstanding way of increasing the town's presence on the national cycling map."

Owen added that the Festival is capable of generating many thousands of pounds for the Abergavenny and Monmouthshire economy and cited the Lincoln Grand Prix as an example.

"The Lincoln Grand Prix is only a two-day event, with the Premier Calendar race following on from the LIncoln GP Sportif, yet it brought a huge £430,000 to that city and the surrounding area."

Owen added, "An independent survey was carried out to gauge the benefits of the Lincoln Grand Prix on the city.

"The report said that the majority of the spend was on food, drink and hotels, with travel and shopping the other big spending areas.

"In total, the survey said that the average spend per person was £96.10, with 84 per cent of people saying they attended Lincoln specifically for the Grand Prix weekend and 98.5 per cent saying they would be back in 2013.

"As the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling week next year is likely to start with a fringe event in midweek, then three days of riding plus other fringe activities, the benefits that the town and Monmouthshire can gain are likely to be many hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"That is why the Festival of Cycling is a significant benefit not just for cycling enthusiasts but for everyone else in the town and beyond."

In 2013, there will be normal road closures in the middle of Abergavenny on the Friday evening for the Criterium races, plus closures around the Mardy circuit for the Grand Prix of Wales on Sunday as the riders enter finishing laps.

Owen said, "We hope that everyone can take some time out of their day, particularly on Sunday, to support and enjoy the action that will be happening outside their front doors for just a few hours."

The five-mile circuit on Sunday will be around Mardy and taking in Maindif on the same route that was used for the 2009 National Championships.

Riders will pass through Park Road, Park Avenue, Hereford Road, Llantilio Pertholey, Wernddu plus Cross Street, High Street and Frogmore Street.