THE ROUTE for a high-profile cycle race through Colchester has been revealed.

Britain’s top professional cycling teams are due to compete against each other through the town’s streets next month as part of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series road race.

As in previous years, this year’s event will begin and end outside Colchester’s Town Hall but organisers have introduced some changes to the circuit.

The new 1.5km course will takes cyclists from the Town Hall along the High Street and into Head Street and St John’s Street, as in previous years. But, then the elite racers will take a sharp left and then right from St John’s Street into Vineyard Gate car park before joining St Botolph’s Street. A final sprint will take them up Queen Street and along the High Street to the finish line.

The circuit loop, which will be ridden by both male and female teams, will be repeated around 25 times over the course of the hour-long race.

“The small change will keep things fresh and make the warm-up for both races all important in learning the new circuit,” said series race director Mick Bennett.

Colchester is hosting round six of the Series, which will also visit another ten venues including Aberystwyth, Durham and Ipswich.

The Colchester event takes place on Thursday May 30 and kicks off at 5.30pm with the women’s Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series. The men’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series race is planned to start at 7pm.

A crowd of 10,000 is expected to watch the race and Colchester Borough Council has organised a series of free, family sporting activities in Castle Park to coincide with the event.

Councillor Lyn Barton, who holds the portfolio for Renaissance, said, “Building on the success and excitement of last summers cycling events at the Olympics we are delighted to be hosting The Pearl Izumi Tour Series for the fourth time. This event, the change to the track and surrounding activities in Castle Park will attract thousands of people to Colchester again for a world class racing event.”