By Jon Gilmore: Three cycling tours are set to return to hold stages in and around Stoke-on-Trent this year.

The Tour of Britain, which held a stage in Stoke last year, will return on September 12. The Halfords Tour series is also coming back on June 17 and Stoke will be the only city in the UK to feature a female race stage as well as the male race.

The final event to take place in Stoke is the Prostate Cancer Charity Tour ride on September 26. Last year the race saw 1,300 people take part to raise money for the charity.

John Neate, CEO of the charity, said: “Everyone who takes part, as well as completing a personal challenge, will be helping the Charity to raise awareness of prostate cancer and helping us to raise funds to fight the disease, which kills one man every hour in the UK.”