CYCLISTS could be set to take to the saddle for a new nine-day festival later this year.

Talks are being held over the possibility of holding a Ribble Valley Cycling Festival during the second week in June.

The brainchild of Richard Paige, the owner of The Green Jersey bike shop in Clitheroe, the festival is due to be staged over nine days and will feature new and existing events.

The annual cycling ‘Sportive’ event, organised by the Rotary clubs of Clitheroe and Accrington, will be held during the festival alongside activities for children and guest speakers at The Grand Venue in York Street.

The event would aim to celebrate all things cycling and be organised alongside organisations including Lancashire County Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, The Green Jersey and Gisburn Forest.

It would be staged a matter of weeks before a stage of the Tour of Britain, due to start in Clitheroe at the beginning of September.

The borough council has said that the plans for the event are in the early stages and will be discussed in greater detail in the coming weeks.

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Mr Paige said: “Cycling is booming in the Ribble Valley and the impact the Tour de France had on Yorkshire has inspired me to do something in Lancashire.

“The details are at an early stage at the moment and there are a lot of ideas.

“We want the grass roots to be involved as much as possible and it’s a really exciting project.”

Bill Honeywell, who is a member of the steering committee, said: “It’s a really exciting event and I hope that it’s something that we can continue and also helps to increase the popularity of cycling.

“Since the Tour de France last year going through Yorkshire cycling has become more and more popular and it’s only going in one direction.

“There will be some existing events during the festival as well as a range of new ones for people to take part in.

“It will help to raise the profile of cycling even further which is great.”

The Ribble Valley already hosts a range of cycling events throughout the year including Ride with Brad, the annual cycle tour with Sir Bradley Wiggins and the Green Jersey’s Sportcross.

Ribble Valley Borough Council’s head of cultural and leisure services, Mark Beveridge, said: “The Ribble Valley Cycle Fest is in the early stages of planning.

“Further details of the event will be available in due course.”