Britain's top cycling road race is returning to Cumbria.

Two stages of the Tour of Britain are set to take place in the county, starting in Cockermouth and Barrow.

It's the first time two stages of the event have taken place in the same county.

The coup for Cumbria comes two years after British Cycling's premier road cycling race last visited the county, bringing with it a £5 million direct boost for the local economy.

Councillor Keith Little, county council cabinet member for transport, said: "This is fantastic news and we’re really over the moon that Cumbria has been chosen for two stages of the Tour of Britain.

"Nowhere else in the country has been given this honour before and it’s a real coup for Cumbria.

“This is a huge opportunity for us to make the most of this from a tourist and economic perspective, and also to get even more people interested and enthused about cycling.”

He said the decision to take the event to Barrow followed two popular street cycling events in the town for professional cyclists.

He added: "We'd taken the Tour of Britain to Carlisle on previous occasions and we'd been to Cockermouth. We have a big, diverse county and we wanted to do something in the south of the county.

"The event brings a certain amount of money into the county directly and it gives us international recognition because it goes worldwide on the television."

Accommodation providers in Cockermouth and Barrow are set to benefit particularly, he said, as teams and crews stay overnight ahead of each stage, and food and drink businesses will see a boost in the two hours leading up to the start of each session.

He said: "I remember in Cockermouth two years ago there were something like 6,000 to 7,000 people on the Main Street.

"There'll certainly be a massive increase in footfall in the towns over that time and people have got to be prepared to take advantage of that."

Businesses key vantage points along the route would also see trade boosted, he added.

Stage five of the tour, on Thursday, September 6, will go from Cockermouth to Whinlatter Visitor Centre and see pro riders race against the clock.

Riders are expected to set off from the town centre and head along Lorton Road, taking in Strawberry How Road and Hundith Hill Road, before continuing up through High Lorton and up Whinlatter Pass.

The following day, the riders will start the 170km stage six route outside Barrow Town Hall, in the event's first visit to the town.

The cyclists are expected to ride along the A5087 to the coast and head north to Ulverston before continuing north for a King of the Mountains challenge at Hawkshead Hill, then on to Ambleside, a further King of the Mountains section at Dunmail Raise, then up to Keswick.

The riders are then set to take on a King of the Mountains phase at Whinlatter Pass, followed by another at Fangs Brow. The route will then continue to Workington before heading north and looping back through Cockermouth to a finish at the summit of Whinlatter.

The Tour of Britain is expected to welcome global stars like Alexander Kristoff and Michal Kwiatkowski, British heroes such as Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas and rising stars like Chris Lawless and Harry Tanfield. The exact teams and riders taking part are yet to be announced.

In 2016, the Tour of Britain cyclists rode from Carlisle to Kendal in a route that took in Penrith, Keswick Newmarket, Cockermouth, Whinlatter, Keswick, Grasmere and The Struggle at Ambleside.

The previous year's event featured a stage beginning in Cockermouth and passing through Maryport, Silloth and Carlisle on its way to Kelso.

In 2013 a stage of the ride went from Carlisle to Kendal.

The council said 2016's event attracted an estimated 175,000 spectators. Hotels, shops and transport providers were among those to benefit.

One of the key aims of the council hosting the event will be to encourage more people to get on their bikes and take up cycling, promoting health benefits for young and old alike.

The council's Allerdale local committee today agreed to allocate £15,000 to support community projects promoting health and well-being to tie in with the event.

Mick Bennett, race director, said: "We are delighted to be returning to Cumbria with the OVO Energy Tour of Britain and are especially excited this year to be bringing two days of racing to the area.

"Cumbria and the Lake District have provided some of the most memorable moments in recent Tour history thanks to its combination of stunning scenery, testing climbs and huge crowds and we are sure that we will see more of this across the September 6 and 7.

“Wherever fans choose to watch over the two days they will be treated to some of the very best cycling action, but Whinlatter Pass is sure to be the mecca for cycling fans across the north of the country with the riders tackling the climb three times across the two stages.”

The event will be covered live on ITV4.