Hundreds of people cheered, whistled and waved as female cycling champions raced through Halstead on the Women’s Tour.
Halstead High Street turned into a bustling hub of excitement this morning as residents, visitors and schoolchildren came out in force, armed with flags, posters and banners.
Pupils from Richard de Clare Primary School lined up along the bridge at the bottom of the hill to get a prime viewing spot while schoolchildren from Ramsey Academy waited for more than an hour by the war memorial.
Whoops and whistles erupted through the crowd as nearly 100 riders, including Olympic champion Laura Trott, headed along Trinity Street and the High Street at about 10.20am to carry on the gruelling 138km through Castle Hedingham before swerving off to Suffolk.
Community spirit was aplenty as motorists beeped and waved to the cycling fans lining the streets before the race began.
For live updates, see our live blog: http://www.halsteadgazette.co.uk/news/13339759.LIVE__Aviva_Women___s_Tour_comes_to_north_Essex/
For a full report and a spread of pictures, see tomorrow's Halstead Gazette.
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