AS Oxfordshire is set to see speeding cyclists whizz through its streets this summer, the quality of its roads is being questioned.

The Women’s Tour, a national cycling race, will set off from Bicester on June 8 where100 cyclists will pedal through towns, villages and rural areas in the county.

But after a competitor crashed out of the race last year on Hadden Hill in Didcot due to a pothole, questions are being raised as to whether the roads in the town are safe for speeding cyclists.

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A resident from Chesterton, near Bicester, who has asked not to be named, believes competitors are not going to be keen on returning if the same happens again this year.

She said: “The roads in this area are in such bad repair that the surfaces are really dangerous for speed cycling, especially when one is unfamiliar with a route.

“It’s brilliant that Bicester has been selected to launch this race, highlighting women’s competitive cycling and in so doing, attracting many local people into giving cycling a go.

“However, our roads are a disgrace.”

She cycled regularly in the area until a few years ago when she said she became ‘weary of fighting against the poor road surfaces’.

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Different routes are planned each year to showcase the county’s diversity to a national and international audience and this year’s will be announced in the coming weeks.

Oxfordshire County Council says it will be checking the race route across the county 'in advance of the race' and that if there are any problems it will make the necessary repairs.

Community action group, Bicester Bicycle Users Group, hopes the event will prompt improvement to cycle routes in Bicester.

Group founder George Bennett, said: "The women’s tour in Bicester is a great celebration of the sport of cycling and a showcase for the town.

“When considering the necessary safety preparations on the route, such as pothole repairs, we call for wider and significant improvement to cycle routes and surfaces to ensure cycling as day to day transport will be the enduring legacy of the event.”

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Katie Scott, 18, from Faringdon, is a CAMS–Tifosi team rider and is one of the women taking part in the gruelling six-stage tour.

Last year six riders were forced out of the tour after a collision reportedly caused by a pothole on a road near Didcot.

Overall leader and former world champion, Marianne Vos, crashed out and needed treatment after sustaining cuts on her face. She told Cycling Weekly she fell from her bike because of 'a hole in the way' she could not avoid.