WEST Somerset and Exmoor is to play a central role in the prestigious Tour of Britain bicycle race which will be televised to a national audience later this year. It will be the first time the race has come to the South West and will see 16 of the world's elite cycling teams racing against each other and the clock as they compete for the coveted yellow jersey. The riders will set off from the Fleet Air Arm Museum near Yeovil at 10.30am on Tuesday, September 11, and follow a 169.2 kilometres route which will pass through Bishops Lydeard, Williton, Dunster, Minehead, Porlock, Lynmouth, Simonsbath, Exford and Wheddon Cross before heading for the finishing line in Taunton. Porlock Hill and an eight kilometres climb from Lynmouth are already being billed as some of the toughest challenges ever faced by competitors in the history of the tour. The race will start in London on September 9, with the local leg being hosted by Somerset County Council with support from Exmoor National Park Authority's Sustainable Development Fund, the Somerset Strategic Partnership, Somerset Rural Renaissance Partnership, Active Exmoor and the Fleet Air Arm Museum. A stage of the race will be held in the county every year for the next five years and county council chiefs are confident it will bring substantial economic benefits for Somerset. Cllr Paul Buchanan, portfolio holder for economic development, said: "We are determined that the South West stage of the Tour of Britain will be the best ever. "It will be an exciting event for Somerset and not to be missed. "The route will showcase the county with full TV coverage on the BBC and will give us an opportunity to show the world what a perfect setting Somerset is for cycling and outdoor activity breaks." He said the area's stunning scenery and varied terrain had helped to attract the race to the South West. The Quantock Hills and Exmoor would both provide tough challenges, while Dunster Castle would provide a spectacular backdrop en route to the seven kilometre ascent from Porlock. From there, the race will head onto the coastal road to Lynton and Lynmouth before the second long climb of the day - an eight kilometre climb up to the moorland of Exmoor. Riders will then have a welcome descent into Simonsbath before heading on into Exford and then taking the rolling roads of the Brendon Hills out of Exmoor and into Taunton. The stage finish will be at the Market House in North Street, Taunton at around 2pm. Mike Bishop of Active Exmoor said the organisation had been instrumental in securing this stage of the race for the area thanks to a grant from the park authority's Sustainable Development Fund and Paul Hawkins, the authority's recreational manager. He said: "The race will have a significant benefit for the local economy as well as helping to raise Exmoor's profile nationally and internationally. "We have created a part-time post starting in May, which will be dedicated to maximising the benefits of the race to Exmoor. "We hope that such an exciting event will also raise awareness of cycling in the South West and get lots more people out on their bikes."