Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Colchester this evening to watch Britain’s top professional cycling teams compete in a thrilling road race.

The riders were in town to compete in the latest leg of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series, which is being held in 11 venues across the country throughout May and June.

Reaching speeds of 30mph, 50 cyclists from 10 teams battled it out for an hour over a 1.5km course in the town centre that culminated with a sprint up the High Street to a finish line outside Colchester’s Town Hall.

Colchester hosted round six of the Series, which will also visit another 10 venues including Aberystwyth, Durham and Ipswich.

Competitors included world track champion Andy Tennant and Yanto Barker who, in recent years, has finished in the top 10 in the Tour of Britain.

The winner of the womens’ Johnson Health Tech Grand Prix Series second round was Hannah Barnes (GBR, MG Maxifuel), closely followed by Karla Boddy, (GBR, MG Maxifuel) and Louise Mahe, (GBR, Team MuleBar Girl – Sigma Sport).

For the men Jon Mould of Team Uk Youth took first with Richard Lang of Team Raleigh a close second and Roman Van Uden of Node4 - Giordana Racing third.

Peter Hodges, a spokesman for the Tour series, said: “Colchester is a tough circuit but with the long final drag it’s a great one for spectators.

“This is the fourth year the Tour has come to Colchester and it shows Colchester Borough Council is serious about cycling and wants the town to be a centre for cyclists.”

But the event was not just about the professionals. Earlier in the day, hundreds of families – together for half-term – had enjoyed a host of sporting activities in Castle Park, which had been organised to coincide with the event.

To see photos of the races, the crowds and the family event, click on the gallery at the top of this story.