The Royal Marines and a Royal Navy warship could be wheeled out to give the Formula One of British cycle competitions a unique Dartmouth wow factor.

And even the college naval cadets could be press ganged into staging a special cycle tour parade – drawn up on the college open air quarter deck in full uniform to spell out the name Dartmouth.

The town is also hoping to organise an open-air music event the night before the cycle race arrives in the town to entertain the people expected to flock to Dartmouth for the event.

The concert is being organised by the Dart Music Festival while the naval college is already asking navy chiefs whether a Royal Navy guardship could be stationed in the Dart when the Tour of Britain cycle race comes to town in September.

And Royal Navy is also being asked if they could send a Royal Marines Band which could be in action to play as the competitors as they race for the finishing line along Dartmouth's North Embankment.

It is hoped to have the music event on the Friday night before the Saturday race day which will see Dartmouth host the finish of the international race's only Westcountry leg.

A special steering group has just been formed to organise a whole range of events around the race which is expected to bring more than 20,000 people pouring into the town.

Speaking at a Dartmouth Guildhall meeting held to set up the steering group representing various organisations in the town, Jenny Caldwell from Devon County Council, which is sponsoring the event, said: 'This is the biggest cycling event apart from the Olympics to take place in this country.'

And she added: 'It is the largest free to view sports event in the UK. There is no cost at all for spectators.'

Some 120 cyclists are expected to take part in the race from Barnstaple to Dartmouth with the route taking them across Dartmoor on Saturday, September 15.

Devon has hosted a leg of the race for the last three years, although this will be the first time the local leg has taken place at a weekend.

The race organisers will be taking over the whole of the Mayors Avenue car park for the day, town centre roads will be closed and the riders will be heading into the town down College Way at speeds rexpected to reach 70mph.

Ms Caldwell said the town's best bet was to concentrate its events on the Friday night and Saturday morning because once the race is over in the late afternoon and the presentations have been made, the organisers pack up and leave almost immediately.

Events so far being looked at include a demonstration by cycle stunt rider Andrei Burton; the music concert in the Royal Avenue Gardens; a crabbing contest for children; cycle races for youngsters ahead of the contestants; and stalls in the Royal Avenue Gardens and on Coronation Park.

It is hoped that the town could use cash from the stallholders to fund the music event which is likely to cost up to £800 for a 'good local band'.

Town councillor Felicity Smith confirmed that the BRNC is asking approval for the Royal Marines Band and a navy guardship for the event.

She also told town councillors at Dartmouth's general purposes committee that there was the possibility that BRNC cadets could parade so that the cycle tour airborne film crew could film them on the quarter deck spelling out the name Dartmouth – which could be slotted into the broadcasts.

Organisers of the regatta, which will have taken placed only a fortnight before, said that they will be leaving all their bunting and flags up for the cycle race.

Around 30 people were at the Guildhall meeting including town, district and county councillors along with representatives from the music festival, food festival, tourist information centre, Dartmouth in Bloom, the regatta committee and the business forum.

Ms Caldwell told the meeting that the race organisers had agreed that 'Dartmouth was the perfect place for the Tour of Britain and they were aghast at how beautiful it was'.

And she added: 'They said it was the most spectacular finish that they have ever had.'

She added: 'If Dartmouth did nothing, the event would be good, the organisers bring masses of infrastructure. But it could be a spectacular day out and could be a huge boost to the local economy and your businesses.

'What you put into it you will get out of it.'

Business forum chairman Paul Reach pointed out that the race organisers were handling all the publicity around the race but it was up to Dartmouth to sort out 'all the work around the town itself'.

And county councillor Jonathan Hawkins said it was essential that when the TV crews following the race, including the helicopter-borne team, arrive in Dartmouth everyone watching knows exactly where it is. He said: 'We have got to ensure that when the cameras are in the town it clearly says Dartmouth.'

Town councillors are looking at supporting the town's effort with cash for employing the town crier; buying new banners with Dartmouth's name plastered all over them; buying more bunting for the town; and even running a cycle race photo competition.

The council's general purposes committee is recommending that the town's finance committee should be asked if it has any money in the pot for the projects.