THOUSANDS are expected to line the street’s for this year’s Abergavenny Festival of Cycling and the town carnival.

The Abergavenny Festival of Cycling 2013, for which the South Wales Argus is an official media partner, is well underway with the 45-mile handicap race and hill climb time trial having already taken place earlier this week.

Today’s events take place in St John’s Square and include the youth races at 5.30pm, a traders’ race at 7.30pm and the elite race at 8.15pm, which will see double Olympic champion Ed Clancy among the field.

Then on Saturday, the Iron Mountain Sportif, starting in Bailey Park will see keen cyclists ride the course taken by stars like Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins.

Riders will set off on a 100-mile event at 9am, a 50-mile event at 9.30am and at 10am there is a more leisurely 20-mile event ideal for friends and families .

Youngsters aged five to 16 can take part in a range of biking activities throughout the day in Bailey Park Later that day An Evening with Shane Sutton and guests takes place at The Angel Hotel, Cross Street at 7pm.

The Grand Prix ofWales will be launched at 11am on Sunday. The 100-mile road race is held for elite riders and is followed by The Para Grand Prix of Wales at 11.15am. The event is for tandems, trikes and handcycles and they will compete in a single event of onehour plus a lap on the town circuit.

To coincide with the week-long event, the committee behind Abergavenny Carnival has organised floats to parade from Mill Street to Bailey Park, via Cross Street and Frogmore Street fromnoon.

The afternoon’s entertainment at Bailey Park includes graffiti workshops, a dog showanda display by The Solent Eagles – a children’s motorcycle display team.