Six thousand cycling fanatics joined elite riders on Fenland’s roads for the first Tour of Cambridgeshire yesterday.

Cambs Times: Gran Fondo cycling event. The leading pack enters Pondersbridge. Whittlesey. Picture: Steve Williams.Gran Fondo cycling event. The leading pack enters Pondersbridge. Whittlesey. Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

The riders set off from Peterborough Arena and pedalled through Whittlesey, Eastrea, Benwick and Doddington before heading into South Cambridgeshire and finishing in Peterborough.

The 79 mile Gran Fondo, the first of its kind in England, catered for amateurs of all abilities on closed roads, with a similar format to the London Marathon.

Andrew Williams from club Cwmcarn Paragon won it for the men, with Cambridge’s Laura Massey crowned the fastest woman.

A 17.4 mile closed-road time trial took place along the route on Saturday.

Organiser Tom Caldwell was thrilled with how the event unfolded.

He tweeted: “Well that was a brilliant day thanks to the entire team you are all unbelievable. So happy to see so many smiling faces.”