Flurry of late entries for Shrewsbury cycle race
Organisers say there have been a flood of late entrants ahead of this weekend's Shrewsbury Grand Prix including one of last year's winners – Brit Tate.
The 21-year-old rider from Yorkshire won the women's only race last year ahead of Olympic gold medallist Joanna Rowsell MBE.
She will return to Shrewsbury on Sunday to defend her title in the Pure Telecom Womens Pro Race.
She will compete in a field of 32 riders, which also includes local cyclists Jessica Holohan and Victoria Grimmer of the organising Shrewsbury Paramount Cycle Racing Team. Race organiser Ben Lawrence said: "The excitement is really starting to build for Sunday.
"It's great to see Brit will be returning to defend her title and it's fantastic to have a number of local riders competing too.
"I'm sure Shrewsbury folk will get behind Jessica and Victoria and support them all the way to the finish line."
More than 150 riders are to take part in the racing with the men's elite and amateur races both full.
Entries closed on Sunday evening but Mr Lawrence, managing director of Beaumont Lawrence, which is sponsoring the event along with Stan's Cycles, Pure Telecom, Cooper Green Pooks, Hatchers Solicitors, Bensons and Walnut Renovation, said riders were still signing up with just days and even hours to go before the deadline.
He said: "We're really encouraged to have so many competitors taking part again this year and we think it is going to be a very exciting day of racing."
Other Paramount riders who will be competing in the event, backed by British Cycling, include 16-year-old Tomos Owens in the Hatchers Junior Race, brothers Tom and Chris Pook in the Cooper Green Pooks Amateur Race and Matthew Davies and Stuart Proctor also competing in the amateur event.
Road closures will be in place from 8am on Sunday and visitors to the town will benefit from reduced parking fees. The race circuit will open to the public at 1pm and racing will get under way from 3pm.
