The Tour of Britain cycles through the region this week - with your chance to see Olympic stars including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Owain Doull and Mark Cavendish taking part in the nation’s biggest cycling race.

The second leg of the tour heads across Cheshire on Tuesday, with a number of great places to be able to watch the cyclists race through the roads.

Here’s everything you need to know about watching the event this week.

What is the Tour of Britain?

The Tour of Britain is British Cycling’s premier road cycling event, and the country’s largest annual free-to-spectate sporting event.

It has existed in various guises over the years but the modern edition was revived in 2004 and is now a firm fixture of the global cycling calendar.

Where is the race taking place?

The Tour opened with the first stage from Glasgow to Castle Douglas on Sunday, and the 126 competing cyclists then headed for stage two from Carlisle to Kendal on Monday.

Then on Tuesday the race heads our way to Cheshire - starting in Congleton and ending up in Tatton Park.

On Wednesday the tour then heads over to Wales for stage four, before continuing on for four more stages down the country until September 11 where it ends in London.

What time are things happening in Macclesfield?

Here is a detailed map of the Cheshire route of Stage 3 of the Tour of Britain.

It all starts in Congleton at 11am, with the peloton making their way west passing through Crewe and Nantwich before looping back on themselves towards Sandbach.

From there is is a weaving route north up towards the first passage of the finish line which will be located in the heart of Tatton Park, where spectators will be able to see the race twice, plus watch the live coverage on a big screen.

After passing the line, riders will start a large loop through Alderley Edge and Prestbury, taking them up into the Peak District, including the ten-kilometre climb of the famous Cat and Fiddle road above Macclesfield, before racing back through Knutsford to the finish line in Tatton Park.

The convoy is expected to arrive in the Macclesfield area from around 1.30pm. Riders will travel from Over Alderley along Macclesfield Road and Chelford Road, through Prestbury village and up through Bollington and Pott Shrigley.

From here riders will head over the tops of the Bakestone Dale Road and are expected to reach Rainow by about 2pm.

Cyclists will then head back down towards Macclesfield, cycle along part of the Silk Road before heading up the Cat and Fiddle at about 2.30pm.

The route then takes riders through Siddington and Chelford, arriving about 3pm, before heading back to the finishing line at Tatton Park.

To minimise disruption all roads on the route will be closed using a rolling road block for around 40 minutes – both 20 minutes before and after the cyclists are expected to pass through each town, and spectators are urged to arrive in plenty of time to avoid the road closures.

Estimated times:

Congleton - 11am

Rode Heath - 11:30am

Willaston - 11:58am

Middlewich - 12:25am

Knutsford - 13:10pm

Alderley Edge - 13:30pm

Cat and Fiddle - 14:10pm

Gawsworth - 15:04pm

Tatton Park - FINISH - 15:30pm

Who is taking part?

It’s one of the strongest ever fields yet for the Tour of Britain - with a who’s who of cycling’s finest in the 126 man field.

The headline grabber is, of course, people’s favourite Sir Bradley Wiggins fresh from becoming the most decorated British Olympian of all time in Rio.

But there will also be seven other medallists from the games cycling including Owain Doull and Mark Cavendish. Other big names from the sport to watch out for include Andre Greipel, Dan Martin, Tom Dumoulin, Wout Poels and Steve Cummings.

How does the race work?

Within the Tour of Britain there are four leaders’ jerseys, each presented following every stage to the rider leading that competition’s classification, headed of course by the famous yellow jersey, synonymous with the race leader in cycling around the world.

What's the best place to view it from?

Most of the towns on the route have been celebrating the Tour’s arrival with lots of golden bicycles or entire stretches of creatively coloured bikes too, and an array of family fun day activites.

As the first town on the route, Congleton is putting on lots of activities and entertainment, including live music at Congleton’s podium, and an Ale Avenue festival at Capitol Walk. Activities start from 8.30am.

There is a particularly impressive parade of decorated bikes along the route down Nantwich Road and Crewe Green in Crewe.

If you’d prefer to be at the “hub” of the action then Tatton Park is the place for you - with a big screen showing live coverage of the race and open free all day to visitors with free car parking. There’s music and dance groups, cycle challenges, food and drinks stalls and competitions from 10am.

There are also VIP packages available in Tatton Park, which include sampling the alcohol-free wines from Tour sponsors Eisberg wines,

In Knutsford itself they’re also hosting “Cyclefest” a free pop up festival from 9am to 10pm with a big screen, children’s village, retail village and community and heritage village on The Heath.

We also like the sound of the celebrations in Alderley Edge - where a wizard and his entourage will be among the spectators at the junction of London Road and Macclesfield Road!

Where and when can I watch it on TV?

The Tour of Britain is being broadcast live on ITV4, with three hours of live coverage each day, plus a one-hour highlights programme every evening with the best of the day’s action.

To watch the Cheshire stage, tune in LIVE from 1pm on ITV4, with the Highlights at 10pm on Tuesday September 6.