East Anglian building supplies company Kent Blaxill has announced it will be the main sponsor of a major cycling event taking place in Essex next month.

East Anglian Daily Times: Simon Blaxill (left) with cyclist Ed ClancySimon Blaxill (left) with cyclist Ed Clancy (Image: Archant)

The company is backing the annual Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race, which attracts an international field of leading cyclists who compete against each other on a course that takes them nine times around Abberton Reservoir near Colchester.

Managing director of Kent Blaxill, Simon Blaxill, who is a cycling enthusiast himself, said: “We are proud to be associated with such a prestigious race, which attracts top cyclists from around the country and even abroad.

“This is a super opportunity to see world-class athletes compete and in 2017 triple Olympic cyclist Ed Clancy couldn’t hold his lead in the final metres and the race was won by elite cyclist Steele von Hoff from Belgium.

In the past, the race has been won by young riders, such as Luke Rowe and Jon Tiernan-Locke, who have gone on to ride for world class teams such as Sky, so Kent Blaxill are very proud to again support an event which nurtures talent of this level.”