THOUSANDS of people are expected to watch this year's Abergavenny Festival of Cycling which launches on Wednesday night in Chepstow.

Last year’s festival attracted 35,000 spectators and this year's event promises a week of street racing from a host of starts including London Olympic Games gold medallist Ed Clancy and Mark Cavendish, culminating in the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling’s Wales Open Criterium on Friday.

The action gets underway with the Chepstow GP support race for amateur cyclists at Chepstow Leisure Centre at 6.15pm.

The Chepstow Grand Prix, which is the penultimate round of the televised British cycling elite town centre series, will see riders take to the roads for an hour starting and finishing at the castle car park at 8pm.

In Abergavenny on Friday, the youth races take place at 5.30pm, followed by the Town Traders Race at 7.15pm and the The Wales Open Criterium, which starts outside the main Post Office at 8pm.

The mass participation Iron Man Sportif on Saturday offers five sportive rides of a different terrain and distances for amateur riders.

A 20-mile leisure ride along fairly flat roads will also be held together with cycling activities in Bailey Park.

The festival is also set to host the biggest road cycling event for disability athletes in Wales on Sunday.

Athletes on tandems, handcycles and trikes will take to the roads of the town centre at 11.15am for the Para Grand Prix of Wales which is now part of the eight-race British Cycling National Series.

The Grand Prix of Wales, a 113-mile race taking riders on two circuits of North Gwent and ten laps of the town centre circuit starts at 11am.

"The Elite Circuit Series always makes a big splash in our area and to have the final two races of the Series in our county, where the title is likely to be decided, is a great coup for everyone involved in this year's Abergavenny Festival of Cycling, said Festival organiser, Bill Owen.

For details visit www.abergavennyfestivalofcycling.co.uk