PRUTOUR, the biggest international cycle race in Britain, finished a nail-biting third leg of its tour in Blackpool this week.

Cheering onlookers lined the Golden Mile on Tuesday (May 26) to watch the more than 100 exhausted riders battle towards the finish line at the Sandcastle.

It was Australian Jay Sweet who managed to find the extra pace in the last few metres to break away from the pack and take first place in what had always been an unpredictable race.

Jay finished the 116-mile journey from Manchester in four hours, 49 minutes and 35 seconds.

The first British rider to be placed was Chris Walker finishing seventh, with fellow Brit Chris Boardman behind him finishing in 21st position.

It had not been an easy course as race controller Alan Rushton explained: "After leaving Manchester, the course followed the highest A-road in England up to Holme Moss in Yorkshire, which was in complete cloud cover.

"It went on through Huddersfield and to Clitheroe, where all the cyclists, apart from the leading four, took a wrong turn into a field, meaning the race time had to be temporarily stopped, neutralised and started again."

The gruelling nine-day event is a major fixture in the sporting calendar placing Britain firmly on the world cycling tour map.

Cyclists from Olympic and international teams are taking part in the event which covers around 900 miles of road racing terrain, passing through cities, towns and villages in Scotland, Wales and England, before finishing in London on Sunday (May 31).

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