Schools, businesses and residents across two Suffolk districts are being are being encouraged to support some of the world’s top female riders as they pass through the county later this month.

The Aviva Women’s Tour comes to Suffolk on June 17 as riders travel through Stowmarket, Stowupland and Stonham Aspal enroute from Bury St Edmunds to Aldeburgh.

A Queen of the Mountains climb also takes place in Hemingstone on the same day. The following day the cyclists will race through Sudbury, Boxford, Hadleigh, East Bergholt and Brantham as they travel from Braintree to Clacton.

To help make the event a success, officers from Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils have been busy trying to ensure those along the route are ready to give the riders a hearty welcome.

The councils’ communities team have organised a competition for children to design their own cycling shirts, and already have more than 500 entries. In some cases whole schools have entered as children have been designing the shirts as part of their art classes.

Competition prizes include cycle safety equipment and swimming passes donated by businesses in Hadleigh and Sudbury as well as leisure centres in both districts.

Jan Osborne, Babergh District Council’s portfolio holder for health and wellbeing and communities, said: “Last year’s event was such a success, we are naturally very pleased it’s returning to the district.

“With so much media coverage, it’s a great opportunity to promote everything that Babergh has to offer to visitors and cyclists alike.

“It’s great to see so many people cycling in Babergh and having a world renowned cycling event on our doorstep can only encourage more people of all ages to take up the sport.”

Diana Kearsley, portfolio holder for communities at Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “The response from schools to our competition has been wonderful and demonstrates how excited the children are about the Tour.

“The variety of shirt designs entered by the children has been amazing.”

Mrs Kearsley added the district council was delighted to be involved with the tour, and added: “It’s a fantastic event, which will help to promote cycling in Mid Suffolk.”

There will be a programme of rolling road closures on the route as the tour passes through the two districts, with temporary parking restrictions in a number of towns and villages while the stages take place.

For more information about the Aviva Women’s Tour, visit our webpage where you can find out more about the route, the teams and the jerseys up for grabs.