RISCA rider Sam Harrison leads the home charge in the professional race at this Sunday’s Velothon Wales.

The annual event will see a mix of recreational competitors and charity fundraisers descend on the area along with some of the world’s best cyclists as part of the UCI sanctioned professional road race.

The 140km route sees cyclists set off from Cardiff before snaking through Newport, Caerleon, Monmouthshire, and Torfaen and across Caerphilly Mountain before returning to the capital.

Former Cwmcarn Paragon rider Harrison, who represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will feel right at home.

The 25-year-old, who has won numerous national titles on the track, is now with Team Wiggins.

He claimed bronze at the UCI Track World Cup in Glasgow last year and will be hoping to impress his home crowd alongside Welsh Mountain Bike Cross Country champion and fellow Team Wiggins rider Dylan Kerfoot-Robson, from Carmarthen.

A total of 17 professional teams will race over 172.1km, with the aim of toppling 2016 champion Tom Stewart, who returns with One Pro Cycling having claimed the title with Madison Genesis last year.

North Wales is represented by another former Commonwealth Games cyclist in Robert Partridge.

The former Welsh road race champ rides for Bike Channel Canyon.

Edward Laverack from Llanelli will be out to make a name for himself after taking the overall title at the Bay Criteriums in Australia and winning the national under 23 road title in 2014.

Jacob Hennessy, Reece Wood, Angus Claxton, Ethan Hayter Matthew Walls and Matthew Bostock will represent Great Britain, while a group of five Irish riders bid to beat them across the finish line in Cardiff city centre.

Bolivian team Start Vaxes Cycling have brought together riders from Chile, Mexico, Eritrea and Belgium, while the Japan-based Interpro Cycling Academy will get a taste of the breathtaking Welsh countryside and cityscape.

The full list of confirmed teams is: Madison Genesis, AC Sparta Praha, Bike Channel Canyon, Beobank – Corendon, JLT Condor, Bike Aid, One Pro Cycling, Dare Vitor Partizan, Team Raleigh Gac, Nice Cycling Team, Team Wiggins, Interpro Cycling Academy, Rietumu Banka-Riga, Start Vaxes Cycling Team, Team Sauerland NRW P/B Henley & Partners, National Team Great Britain and National Team Ireland.

Last year’s race was won by Stewart in a time of 4:20:29, with Rasmus Guldhammer and Ian Bibby completing the other two places on the podium.

This year’s professional race starts at 12.45pm from the St Mary’s Street in Cardiff city centre and follows the same route as the 140km sportive for amateur cyclists with the addition of two extra loops of the famous Tumble climb between Abergavenny and Blaenavon.

Up to 16,000 cyclists are expected to be taking part in the event, which is owned by Ironman and organised with Run4Wales.