DEVONIAN professional cyclist Jonathan Tiernan-Locke is poised to make his Tour of Britain debut when the race gets underway next month.

Jonathan, aged 25, has been named in the RaphaCondorSharp line-up and hes looking to impress on home turf in stages four and five in Devon and Somerset on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 September.

Stage five will be particularly special to Jonathan as it begins in Tavistock, not far from his home town of Plymouth.

He said: I want to do well in front of a home crowd. Its a good opportunity for people who may not traditionally be interested in cycling to see a race. Its a great showcase for cycling in the UK and Im sure it will leave a positive impression. I ride all of the roads of the two south west stages in training, particularly the road from Tavistock. Its going to seem strange riding those roads with 100 other riders but Ill definitely look to get involved in the local stages. Weve got the riders in our team who are capable of winning a stage, so the goal is to get in the breaks and get some stage wins.

The former Mid Devon Cycling Club member is a relative late starter in the sport, having focused on racing mountain bikes as a teenager. He didnt even own a road racing bike until his 18th birthday but one year later, under the guidance of the Mid Devon Cycling Club, he was representing Great Britain at the World U23 championships in Verona in 2004.

Since pulling on the black jersey of his current team, Jonathan has notched up some notable victories in top class domestic races as well as abroad. This year he has won the Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race and won a Stage of the Ras Tailteann in Ireland, which ranks as his best result to date.

Devon County Council is co-hosting the two South West stages with Somerset County Council. Stage 4 starts in Minehead and finishes in Teignmouth, covering 107 miles (171kms). Stage 5 stretches 109 miles (176 kms) from Tavistock to Glastonbury.

The Tour of Britain 2010 begins in Rochdale on Saturday 11 September and finishes in London on Saturday 18 September.

For more information about the South West stages of The Tour of Britain go to http://www.south">www.south westtourofbritain.co.uk