THOUSANDS of eager cyclists will “get on their bikes” for the annual Bolton Sky Ride on Sunday.

Olympic hero Jason Kenny will join the riders as they set off on the route in and around the town centre.

The free event will take place on roads that will be closed especially for the event and will run from 11am until 3pm.

This will be the fourth time that Bolton Council has hosted the showpiece event, which is run in partnership with Sky and British Cycling.

The new Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Carole Swarbrick, will officially open the ride at 11am from Le Mans Crescent, before triple Olympic champion Kenny will lead out the ride.

The cycling star will also be meeting fans throughout the day and signing cyclists’ Sky Ride bibs in Victoria Square from 1.30pm to 2pm.

With no official start point or start time, cyclists can ride as much or as little of the course as they want.

Two routes are available for cyclists — a shorter 3km route which goes along Le Mans Crescent, Knowsley Street, Spa Road and Queens Park, where free entertainment will be on offer, including live music and nearby extreme stunt cycling.

The longer 5km route will see cyclists join on to Park Rd from Spa Road, heading up Gilnow Road, Tudor Avenue, on to Chorley New Road and then back into town.

All the roads on the routes will be closed to traffic from 6am to 5pm — signed diversions will be in place and residents and businesses have been notified.

Residents should be aware that Chorley New Road will be closed in one direction only from its junction with Chorley Old Road to its junction with Tudor Avenue.

The road will be open as usual for vehicles travelling into the town centre, but closed to motorists travelling from Chorley Old Road.

Bolton Council’s cabinet member for culture, youth, and sport, Cllr John Byrne, said: “We want to encourage everyone to have a go at cycling as it is a great way to keep fit and have fun whatever your age or ability.

“Around 7,000 people turned out to last year’s event and we hope to get more people joining us this year. We’ve got lots going on in Queen’s Park, ideal for families and something to entertain the cyclists on their ride.

“We appreciate that the event will cause some disruption for residents and motorists and we would like to thank them in advance for their patience.

A limited number of free bikes, including adapted cycles, will be available for hire near Game, on Newport Street and bike experts from Halfords will be offering free bike safety checks in Victoria Square.

For more information on the road closures, contact the customer helpline on 01204 336677.