Sunday's Tour o’ the Borders, a mass participation event that cyclists of all abilities, is expected to attract more than 2,000 entries. This will be the first year a cycling sportive in the Borders has enjoyed closed roads, giving amateur cyclists the chance to enjoy a closed race on some of the best roads in Scotland.

The event is backed by both Scottish Borders Council and EventScotland and has grown rapidly – from 286 riders in 2012 to the mass participation event this year.

Neil Dalgleish, Tour o’ the Borders Director, said: “Sportives are really growing in popularity across the UK and the huge number of entrants we have this year is testament to that.

“Cycling is a key feature in the Scottish Borders Tourism Strategy, with the region trying to grow its share of the £239million that biking brings to Scotland’s economy each year.

“This will be the first closed road cycling event in the Scottish Borders and we envisage the event going from strength to strength in the coming years. Scotland is the perfect stage for events and The Tour o’ the Borders truly showcases our stunning landscapes and we hope that cycling fans from all over Britain will join us to make the 2014 Tour o’ the Borders closed road cycling sportive event truly memorable.

“There will be some disruption caused by the road closures but we hope that people see the economic benefits outweigh that. The economic impact of the event stands at around half a million pounds, which is a huge sum for a one day event.” There are currently only two other closed road sportives in Scotland - the Etape Caledonia in Perth and Kinross, which is now worth £1m to the area, and the most recent Etape Loch Ness.

Scottish Borders Council has granted organisers of the event permission to close a selection of roads around the region on Sunday.  The route will pass through Peebles, Cardrona, Selkirk, Clovenfords and Roberton, with participants choosing to take in either a 76 or 55 mile circuit.

A full map of both routes is available at www.tourotheborders.com/event-info Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland, added: “The Scottish Borders is home to some of the country’s most spectacular scenery, which is just one of the reasons the area is a must-visit for cyclists.

“Tour ‘o the Borders has grown enormously since 2012 to become a very popular event, delivering great benefits for the local area. No doubt riders will be thrilled to hear that they will have the chance to experience a closed road event this year.

“Tour ‘o the Borders shows just why Scotland is the perfect stage for events, providing an unmatched setting that keeps attendees looking forward to the event year on year.” The Ride will depart from Peebles town centre early on Sunday morning and head towards the Gordon Arms and St Marys Loch, branching off up the Yarrow Valley and returning to Peebles via Selkirk, a route covering 89kms. The second, longer route continues towards Roberton and back via the Woll before returning to Peebles via Innerleithen, a total of 124kms. Throughout the event the road closure team will minimise any inconvenience to locals.

Tour o’ the Borders organisers have also set up a community page on their website where anyone concerned about the road closure arrangements or implications can find out more.

Anyone with specific questions can also reach out to the organisers by emailing community@tourotheborders.com Tour o’ the Borders also has two new backers, with Scottish cycle clothing brand Endura sponsoring the event and MacMillan Cancer Support acting as its charity partner.