PROMOTERS of this year’s Tour of Britain believe it will be the biggest and best to date.

Over the past few years the race has regularly visited the Scottish Borders.

And yet again the cream of world cycling will push themselves through the region during two stages.

The 20 teams taking part in the Aviva Tour of Britain were announced this week.

Headlining the list are Team Cannondale Garmin, who won the 2014 Tour of Britain with Dylan Van Baarle and also the Etixx Quick-Step team of Mark Cavendish and World Champion Michal Kwiatkowski.

Top level British interests are represented by Team Sky.

The other six UCI WorldTeams that will race in the Aviva Tour of Britain are BMC Racing, IAM Cycling, Lotto Soudal, Movistar Team, Team Lotto NL Jumbo and Tinkoff – Saxo.

Those nine, plus MTN Qhubeka, have been in action in the Tour de France, winning 13 of the 21 stages, and will line-up with six rider squads in Beaumaris on Anglesey for Stage One on Sunday, September 6.

Race director Mick Bennet said: “This is undoubtedly the strongest line-up of teams to have appeared in the Aviva Tour of Britain.

“The Aviva Tour of Britain presents a fantastic opportunity for British fans to see what will be the best line-up of teams and riders to race in this country this year. In 2014 we saw Michal Kwiatkowski, Sir Bradley Wiggins and the BMC Racing Team all go on to win World titles immediately after the race and are sure that this year’s Tour will provide an equal platform for riders going on to target the World Championships.” On Tuesday, September 8, Floors Castle in Kelso will host the Stage Three finish. It will be the fourth visit for the modern Tour of Britain to the Scottish Borders, with two departs from Peebles, but the first time that the area has hosted a stage finish.

Stage Three will begin south of the border in Cockermouth, crossing into Scotland at Gretna Green in Dumfries and Galloway.

The route then passes through Newcastleton before moving onto Hawick. The route then takes in Selkirk and Tweedbank before the third and final SKODA King of the Mountains climb takes the riders from Melrose to Bowden Moor.

Stage Three then descends down to St Boswells for the run in to Kelso along the A699.

Edinburgh will host the Start of Stage Four with the route heading past the Scottish Parliament and up the Royal Mile.

After leaving the riders will race through East Lothian before crossing back into the Scottish Borders for the second day, racing through Cranshaws, Duns and Coldstream, heading on south into Northumberland via Wooler, Alnwick and Warkworth for the finish in Blyth.

It is expected that thousands will line the local routes yet again following this week’s team announcements.

Fans of domestic racing will also be able to get behind all six of the country’s UCI Continental teams, including 2015 Pearl Izumi Tour Series Champions Madison Genesis and last year’s Elite Road Series winning squad Team Raleigh GAC, and also cheer on a Great Britain Cycling Team racing on home roads.

Three squads, ONE Pro Cycling, co-owned by former England cricketer Matt Prior, Team WIGGINS, the personal team of World Hour Record holder Sir Bradley Wiggins, and Cult Energy will make their Aviva Tour of Britain debuts.

They will also be joined by two further UCI ProContinental teams – MTN Qhubeka and Team Novo Nordisk.

Jonny Clay, British Cycling director of cycle sport and membership, said: “This week’s announcement confirms the Tour of Britain as a world-leading event in its class and sets a high standard for cycle sport in this country.

“Sport fans across England, Scotland and Wales can now look forward to seeing some of the best teams in the world on their local roads as the Tour of Britain provides a fantastic finale to the British sporting summer.”