OTLEY is gearing up for another night of spectacular cycling action next Wednesday.

The 2017 LOGCO Otley Cycle Races will bring thousands of enthusiasts into the town for what has become one of the most popular events on the calendar.

Riders and spectators alike rank the Otley venue as special.

The challenging circuit with the descent of Otley Chevin and its sweep along Bondgate in front of thousands of cheering fans, creates a unique atmosphere.

Race director Nigel Bishop, the man charged with supervising the organisation of the event, is not alone in the belief that this is “a carnival with a cycle race.”

A record crowd of 14,000 watched the 2014 race which was part of the build up to the Tour de France Grand Depart.

This year’s figure may not be as grand, but the streets will certainly be packed.

The boom in women’s cycling, in no small measure due to the efforts of Otley’s darling Lizzie Deignan, is reflected in a record entry for the Pinsent Masons Otley Women’s GP.

The men’s elite race, being run for the 33rd time, promises to be a real cracker.

There’s the youthful talent of Tom Pidcock, the Otley cyclist who seems destined for great things, and one day may be as big a name as the 2005 winner Mark Cavendish.

The 17-year-old world cyclo-cross champion has already won Otley’s under-16 and Classic races, so how about completing the set with victory in the big race?

He showed the pros what he can do when he won the recent British Tour Series race at Durham, but having been caught out once, they will surely be more determined to stop him this time.

Past winner Graham Briggs and Chris Lawless might have something to say about that, along with Olympic track star Ed Clancy, a popular Otley race regular.

Whoever the individual winners turn out to be, the evening will confirm once again that Otley is the cycling capital of Yorkshire.

It’s a venue which keeps delivering special races and great support. A winning combination and long may it continue.