GALLERY: Celebration of cycling in Tour of Cambridgeshire

The third Tour of Cambridgeshire took place on Saturday and Sunday, with miles of country roads closed to allow cyclists of all abilities to safely compete in the event.

The race was based at the East of England Arena, and saw a range of races, competitions and rides take place.

Cyclists travelled from across the globe to take part - with a place at the World Championships on the line for the fastest riders.

The highlight of the weekend for many was the Grand Fondo on Sunday, which saw thousands of people riding the 100 mile route - and hundreds more lining the streets to cheer the riders on.

The ride takes in towns and villages across Cambridgeshire including Yaxley, Sawtry, Alconbury and Ramsey.

There were also a range of events on Saturday, including time trials and cycling displays at the arena.

A spokesman for the event said: “We were really pleased with this year’s event, overwhelmed by the nearly 10,000 riders that took part over the two days and the support from the local community.

“People lined the streets to support it and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

“There were several thousand riders from our immediate area but people also came from all four corners of the globe including South America and Australia.

“The size of the event keeps increasing and we expect it to be even bigger next year. We feel that the event is gaining momentum and is something that Peterborough and Cambridgeshire can be proud off putting our name on the map to an international audience.”

The spokesman said the organisers were already looking at next year’s event, which is set to take place on June 1 and June 2 next year.

Residents and businesses had complained about the impact the road closures have had.

The spokesman said: “We are always looking at the route and to see if we can refine it further to minimise the impact on business’s, We spend a large sum with local companies providing services and people for the event.

“We can not contribute directly or compensate businesses as the event is hugely costly to do and it would make it unviable. The event is delivered without contribution from the local tax payer. However we have a huge database of people from the local area who are keen to support businesses that accommodate the event and we would be happy to work with any business effected by the road closures to market their product and services directly, across our social media and on the day.”