Thousands set to line the streets for Tour of Britain for Brighton finish

Brighton and Hove will be full to bursting with cycling fans tomorrow (Saturday) as thousands of people line the city's streets to see the Tour of Britain.

A peloton made up of some of the world's best cyclists will snake its way to the seafront during the penultimate stage of this year's race.

The leading competitors are expected to enter the city at Coldean Lane at just after 3pm before making their way to the finish line on Marine Parade, with organisers predicting an arrival time of 3.19pm.

Brighton and Hove City Council believes the event could be worth as much as £3 million to the local economy as a result of increased trade on the day and potential tourism resulting from the city being showcased on television across the world.

Sir Bradley Wiggins, the first Britain to win the iconic Tour de France race, will be among the cyclists but the much-loved rider is increasingly unlikely to claim this year's Tour of Britain crown.

Wiggins, who rides for Team Sky, has dropped to sixth place overall, some way behind the top two of Michal Kwiatkowski and Edoardo Zardini.

He will, however, remain the biggest draw to tomorrow's event, with cycling fans keen to catch a glimpse of the star in action.

The event will be shown live on ITV4 but organisers are confident the majority of local cycle fans will opt to see the riders up close.

Tomorrow's leg starts in Camberley, Surrey, at 10am and takes in 140 miles of road through West and East Sussex before arriving in Brighton at around 3pm.

The tour is the country's largest free-to-spectate sporting event attracting the biggest live attendance of any sporting event in the UK.

And for once, local motorists are unlikely to mind having their journeys disrupted by cyclists.

Madeira Drive will be closed between 5am and 7pm, with the A259 from Lower Rock Gardens to the aquarium roundabout shut from 1.30pm until 5pm.

The roundabout itself will remain open but will be reduced to one lane for the duration of the event, while each of the roads that will be used by the racers (listed to the right) will be closed 15 minutes before the tour passes by and reopened once each rider has left.

Businesses across the city are hoping for a bumper days trading - with the local economy estimated to benefit to the tune of around £3 million from the tour's visit '“ and many are offering Tour of Britain special offers.

The city's cycling-themed café, Velo, is also hosting a number of events throughout the day, including smoothie making sessions for kids and cycle races on static mountain bikes in the evening. Coverage of the event will also be shown on the café's 48ins screen from 1pm.

And to mark the occasion the Brighton Wheel will be lit yellow tonight (Friday) and tomorrow evening to mirror the signature colour of the tour's prestigious yellow jersey worn by the race leader.

A small army of volunteer city champions will be out in force at Brighton Station to welcome spectators and offer maps and directions to the finish line.