The Manx International Stage Race is now little more than one week away on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 2-4.

Sponsored by Cycle 360, the format will be four stages over three days.

It will begin with a 50-lap kermesse (35 miles) on the Friday evening over an exciting new course encompassing the Isle of Man Business Park, in the Cooil area. This will start at 7.30 and Cycle 360 will be hosting hospitality for spectators as well as the warm up area for teams in its multi-functional venue up at the Business Park.

On the Saturday morning, stage two will consist of a 3.8-mile hill climb (for road bikes) on the Sloc Road, starting 9.30.

This will be followed at 2.30 by a road race over 15 laps of the Billown Course (in reverse) on the outskirts of Castletown, covering 64.5 miles.

Sunday’s fourth and final stage will involve three laps of the Snaefell Mountain Course, starting at 12.30pm from the TT Grandstand. This will be over 113.25 miles.

The Cycle 360 Manx International Stage Race forms the penultimate round of the 2019 HSBC UK National Men’s Road Series, which are the top events of the British domestic road cycling calendar.

It often seen as the warm-up for the elite riders competing in the Tour of Britain.

Riders expected to be competing include Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy and the 2016 Manx International winner Ian Bibby.

Locals will include Mark Christian (Team Wiggins), Nathan Draper (Zappi) and Ramsey brothers Tom and Leon Mazzone who both ride for Team Tifosi.

The inclusion of an Isle of Man national team will add further interest to the leading Manx rider competition.

The event will be broadcast on Eurosport and is being supported by the Department for Enterprise through its Tourism team.

For further information on any of the events visit www.manxinternational.com

l SAS Events is organising the Canaccord Genuity Sportive over the TT course on the Sunday morning, before the Manx International. The event is this year supporting the Lisa Lowe Centre. It will include a fully-closed roads section over the mountain. Go to Manx Timing Solutions to enter.