It isn’t every day that Bradford takes something off London - but that will be the case on Sunday.

The National Youth Cycling Circuit Race Championships, which have been held in the capital for the past two years, takes place at Lister Park, with Cartwright Hall providing a stunning backdrop.

It is the biggest single-day event for youth cyclists in the country and has attracted a record field of 355 riders, with competitors aged from 11 to 16 travelling from all over the country.

This year’s championships should be one of the most hotly-contested in recent years.

On the day when the Tour de France finishes, cyclists will race round a full circuit of spectator-friendly Lister Park, including the hill at the side of Emm Lane.

Mark Cavendish, who will hopefully win the Tour's green jersey this weekend, is a former National Youth Championship winner.

The A boys’ race is wide open, with local stars Ollie Wood, Jacob Scott and Jake Womersley looking to impress. Challenges are sure to come from the strong North West contingent of Chris Lawless and Jake Ragan.

The south of the country will also be well represented by reigning national champion Germaine Burton and fellow youth international Tao Geoghegan Hart.

In the girls’ A race, multi-national track champion Emily Kay will be hoping to survive the tough Lister Park hill and show off her blistering sprint finish.

However, there are plenty of strong climbers in the field who will be looking to test her.

If it’s a local hopeful that you want, however, look no further than Abby Mae Parkinson, who is now riding for RST Trigon Racing Team.

She goes to school across the road at Bradford Grammar School and is in the first event of the day - the youth B girls (10am).

Abby Mae, who is hoping to use the local support as a positive, is currently third in the national rankings and has had a second place in the Isle of Man Youth Tour National Series Race and a third in the Tour of Blackpool National Series Race.

The Yorkshire team of Melissa Lowther, Lauren O’Brien, Wood, Womersley (all Aire Valley RT), Abby Mae Parkinson, Amira Mellor (Holme Valley Wheelers), Scott (Planet X) and Leon Gledhill won the Inter-Regional Road Championships in Scotland two weeks ago After the youth B girls, come the A boys (11.20am), C boys and girls (12.50pm), A girls (2.15pm), B boys (3.50pm) and D boys and girls (5pm).

Other attractions at a venue which has held a Tour of Britain stage finish are free “Go Ride” events for under-eights on the grassy area close to Cartwright Hall, organised by national coach Chris Young from Keighley; cycling stalls featuring bling bikes and kit; a BMX stunt team, and roller racing against the clock.

The event is being marshalled with the help of C Company Bradford Army Cadets, and a host of past champions from Yorkshire and surrounding areas are presenting the prizes, including former Olympic cyclist Lisa Brambani from Hartshead, Mirfield’s Brian Robinson (first Briton to win a stage on the Tour de France), former Tour of Britain winner Chris Walker, Mark Barry, Great Britain rider Carol Barry and former world champion Mandy Bishop.