One of Britain"s best known cycle road races takes place in South Ayrshire this weekend.

The 39th annual Girvan cycle race is backed by Scottish Power renewables, and sees over 100 riders race over 250 miles of Ayrshire countryside in order to win the coveted yellow jersey.

Here, we detail, stage by stage, the rigourous route which the 120 riders will have to overcome if they are to win The Girvan and take the jersey from England"s Ian Wilkinson.

STAGE 1 will take the following route: Neutralised start from Girvan Academy car park, Take left into The Avenue. Continue through Church Square into Hamilton Street to traffic lights, Take left into Dalrymple Street and halt at McKechnie Institute for start ceremony, Neutralised start, continue to Shallochpark roundabout, take second exit onto A714 signed Newton Stewart.

End of neutralised section. Commence Byne Hill Prime, at lay-by on left Pinmore Junction, turn hairpin left onto UCR Assel Valley road SP "Tormitchell", Penkill junction, continue straight on to join B734 Junction, turn right onto UCR, SP Dailly/Maybole (Blackies Brae) T-junction, turn right still on UCR Dailly, straight on through village to join B 741 Junction, turn right to follow B741 to Straition Junction, turn left on entering Straiton onto B7045 Kirkmichael Hot Spot Sprint at Pub, straight through Kirkmichael still on B7045 Junction, turn hairpin left onto UCR SP Crosshill T-junction, turn left SP Crosshill onto B7023, Crosshill Hot Spot Sprint, at Post Office straight through Crosshill onto UCR X-roads, turn left onto B741 SP Straiton Junction, turn left on entering Straiton onto B7045 Kirkmichael, straight through village still on B7045 Junction, turn hairpin left onto UCR SP Crosshill T-junction, turn left SP Crosshill onto B 7023 Crosshill Junction, turn right in Crosshill to follow B7023 SP Girvan Junction, straight on to join B741 SP Girvan Dailly, straight on leaving the B741 SP Girvan Old Dailly, crossroads straight on to join B734 SP Girvan Junction, turn left at Brae Toll (white cottage) to enter Girvan on UCR Coalpots Road, Girvan (30 mph signs) continue straight on under railway bridge, Victory Park Hot Spot Sprint (near South Park Avenue junction) Shallochpark Roundabout, take first exit onto A714 SP Barrhill/Newton Stewart Commence Hill Prime BYNE HILL PRIME, at lay-by on left Pinmore, Junction turn hairpin left onto UCR Assel Valley road SP "Tormitchell" Penkill junction, continue straight on to join B734 Junction, turn right onto UCR, SP Dailly/Maybole (Blackies Brae) T-junction, turn left still on UCR onto main raod SP Girvan Old Dailly cross roads straight on to join B734 Junction, turn left at Brae Toll (White Cottage) to enter Girvan on UCR Coalpots Road, Girvan (30mph signs) then immediately turn right after passing under railway bridge into The Avenue Junction, turn left into Queen"s Drive Junction, turn right into North Park Avenue Junction, turn left into Victory Park Road Junction, turn left into South Park Avenue, Finish on South park Avenue just before lamp post No R 12.

STAGE 2: As normal 15 laps round Victory Park�The Crit. Starts at 5.30pm on easter Saturday.

STAGE 3 takes the following route and is neutralised for 0.6 miles from Merrick Leisure Centre to The Cinema: Start from Merrick Leisure Centre car park, turn left into Corsbie Road, at T-junction turn right into Church St and continue into Jubilee Road, at T-junction facing war memorial turn left into Dashwood Sq and immediately at T-junction turn left into Albert St (A714) and continue straight on into Victoria St to halt opposite The Cinema for ceremonial start.

Ceremonial Start at Cinema: Junction, turn right over bridge into Minnigaff T-junction turn right onto A712 and immediately, junction, turn left onto A75 SP Dumfries. Race will start when all riders have safely negotiated this turn Palnure, continue straight on still on A75 Junction, turn left onto UCR SP Creetown, continue straight on still on UCR, caution - on twisty descent into town centre, junction, turn left into High St SP Gem Museum and immediately Bear left into Hill St, SP Gem Museum, Bear left onto UCR Chain Road, SP Gatehouse via Rusko, Caution - narrow single track road for 5 miles, Caution - narrow hump bridges, Caution - series of narrow bridges for approx 1 mile - Commence Hill Prime, Pibble Hill KoM Prime (at double National Cycle Route signs), Crossroads, turn right onto B796, SP Gatehouse, Caution - cattle grid. Narrow twisty descent for 5 miles to Gatehouse of Fleet, T-junction turn left onto B727 SP Borgue/Kirkcudbright junction, turn left onto UCR SP Laurieston and Golf Course Y-junction, bear right still on UCR SP Laurieston - Commence Hill Prime, Caution - cattle grid, Bengray Hill Prime (opposite forestry gateway LHS Sp 'RUTT', Caution - cattle grid, Laurieston Crossraods, turn left onto A762 SP New Galloway, Caution - narrow hump bridge, Mossdale, continue straight through village, Caution - narrow bridge, Caution - narrow bridge, New Galloway junction, turn left at crossroads onto A712 - commence hill prime New Galloway Hill Prime junction, turn right onto B7079 SP Minnigaff Minnigaff Hot Spot Sprint at Scottish National Heritage entrance, Caution - narrow bridge and immediately, junction, turn right onto A714 SP Girvan, Straight on at side road right SP Challoch & Knowe, Caution - narrow bridge, Barrhill continue straight through village, Caution in Barrhill - narrow bridge, Pinwherry, continue straight through village, Caution - narrow bridge, Pinmore Junction, turn right onto UCR SP Tormitchell, Penkill junction, continue straight on to join B734 Junction, turn right onto UCR SP Dailly/Maybole Caution on the descent - rough road surface, T-junction, turn left still on UCR onto main road SP Girvan Old Dailly crossroads, continue straight on to join B734 Junction, turn left at Brae Toll (White Cottage) to enter Girvan on UCR Coalpots Road, Girvan (30mph signs) then immediately turn right after passing under railway bridge into The Avenue junction, turn left into Queen"s Drive junction, turn right into North Park Avenue junction, turn left into Victory Park Road junction, turn left into South Park Avenue, Finish on South park Avenue just before lamp post No R 12.

STAGE 4 SP: Sign Posted, UCR: Unclassified Road. LHS/RHS: Left/Right Hand Side, Caution: Known hazard; competitors must take extra care at this location.

Roll out 0.5 miles:- from Girvan Academy turn left into The Avenue, straight ahead to traffic lights, left into Dalrymple Street and halt at McKechnie Institute for ceremonial start.

Neutralised Start for 2.7 miles: from McKechnie Institute via Dalrymple Street, Glendoune Street, bear left at mini-roundabout into Bennane Road and at Shallochpark Roundabout, take first exit SP "Ayr" and continue straight ahead to Brae Toll T-junction. Race Start Proper, T-junction at Brae Toll, turn right onto B734, SP "Barr", Old Dailly. Crossroads, continue straight ahead, leaving B734 to join UCR Junction, turn right, still UCR, SP "Barr 5", KoM, Start: Penkill (Cat 3) T-junction, turn left to rejoin B734, SP "Barr" Junction, turn left, still B734, SP "Barr", KoM Finish - Penkill (at point where hedge starts on RHS), Caution narrow, twisting descent to Caution - narrow hump bridge at bottom of descent, Barr. Straight ahead leaving B734 to join UCR SP "Crosshill, Straiton, Glentrool", Junction at King"s Arms Hotel, turn left, still UCR, SP "Crosshill, Straiton, Glentrool", Junction, continue straight ahead, Now single-track road for 10.5 miles, T-junction at South Balloch, turn left, still UCR, SP "Maybole, Crosshill, Straiton", Caution: cattle grid at dip in road, KoM Start - Glenalla (Cat 2), KoM Finish - Glenalla (just before "Fountain" forest entrance on LHS), Caution - cattle grid followed by descent on single track road with gravel and mud, Crossroads at Cloyntie Toll, continue straight ahead, still UCR, no SP, Crosshill, continue straight ahead through village to join B7023, SP "Maybole, Ayr", Hot Spot Sprint - Crosshill (opposite Store/Sub Post Office on RHS) Junction, turn right onto UCR, SP "Ayr (B7045)" Junction, turn hairpin right onto B7045, SP "Kirkmichael, Straiton", Caution - poor sight lines on turn. Kirkmichael, continue through village, still B7045 to Hot Spot Sprint - Kirkmichael (just before bridge outside house No 15 on LHS ) Straiton. Junction, turn right onto B741, SP "Crosshill, Dailly etc". T-junction, bear left, still B741, SP "Dailly, Girvan", Junction, turn left onto UCR, SP "Barr 7". Now single-track road for 16.2 miles. KoM Start - Hadyard Hill (Cat 1) (at Knockrochar farm road end on LHS), Caution - cattle grid on climb, Caution cattle grid on climb, KoM Finish Hadyard Hill (at Hadyard Hill wind farm entrances on L&RHS), Caution - descent on single-track road with bends, Caution cattle grid on descent, Caution cattle grid on descent, T-junction, turn left onto UCR, SP "Glentrool, Newton Stewart", T-junction at South Balloch, turn right, still UCR, SP "Glentrool, Newton Stewart", KoM Start - Nick o" the Balloch (Cat 1), Caution - cattle grid on climb, KoM Finish - Nick o" the Balloch (at crest of road just after end of crash barrier on RHS), Caution - descent on single-track road with bends and rough surface, Caution - cattle grid on descent, T-junction at Rowantree Toll, turn hairpin left, still UCR, SP "Straiton, Ayr", Caution - adverse camber with gravel on turn, Tairlaw summit. Stinchar Bridge. Road widens to narrow twin track, Tairlaw Bridge, Caution - double bend on narrow bridge at bottom of descent. Straiton.

Hot Spot Sprint - Straiton (opposite public house on LHS) junction, turn left onto B741, SP "Crosshill, Dailly etc".

T-junction, bear left, still B741, SP "Dailly, Girvan", Dailly. Continue straight ahead to join UCR, SP "Girvan, Barr (B734)", Old Dailly. Crossroads, continue straight ahead to join B734, Junction at Brae Toll (White Cottage), turn left onto UCR, SP "Girvan, Stranraer (A77)" Girvan (30 mph signs) pass under railway bridge then immediatel Junction, turn right into "The Avenue", Junction, turn left into "Queen"s Drive", T-junction, turn right into North Park Avenue Junction, turn left into "Victory Park Road" T-junction, turn left into "South Park Avenue", Finish on South Park Avenue just before lamp post number R12.