Community leaders have pledged £25,000 to help with the staging of the final leg of next year’s Women’s Tour cycling spectacular – with plans to create an exciting family weekend as part of the event .

Felixstowe will host the dramatic climax to the race as the riders cross Suffolk on the last day aiming for the winner’s podium.

Town councillors have agreed £25,000 to help with the event, which will provide an exciting opportunity to showcase the resort on national TV and produce plenty of film footage to promote the seaside town.

This summer’s Women’s Tour has been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic but organisers SweetSpot Group have already announced that this year’s race will simply roll over to 2021 with all the same stages.

That means the sixth and final stage will take place on Saturday, June 12 next year from Haverhill to Felixstowe, with the winning line expected to be at the Port of Felixstowe after a circuit through the resort, though full details are due to be announced this autumn.

Felixstowe Town Council has agreed to be main sponsor of the stage and accompanying event to be called FelixFest 2021.

The cash is to provide an outdoor cinema screen – to screen a film on the Friday evening before the cycling excitement and possibly a major sporting event on the Sunday afterwards – to host live action during the race as it approaches the town along with the end and winner’s ceremony, and also to support the launch of a new Felixstowe Triathlon event (open to all) and cycle simulators.

Other activities are also being planned and finalised.

Part of the town council funding will also be used to support additional marketing and promotional activities, including the commissioning of a library of professional images and videos highlighting the range of attractions in Felixstowe.

The resort has hosted a stage of the prestigious race before – the start of the third leg taking riders to Clacton in 2014 beginning outside Felixstowe Town Hall – when the day included a king and queen of the mountains event, on Bent Hill seafront sprints and family activities.

Hugh Roberts, from SweetSpot Group, said: “With the extra time now available we look forward to making next year’s Women’s Tour even bigger and better than before and a fantastic celebration of cycling and Britain.”