HUNDREDS of people got on their bikes for Cycle Wiltshire at the weekend. The event, supported by Landmarc, is part of Wiltshire Council’s A Legacy for Wiltshire partnership.

It saw more than 500 people get on their bikes on Saturday, taking in the beautiful scenery of the south of the county.

As well as the chance to cycle, Five Rivers Leisure Centre hosted the Cycle Wiltshire Village, which gave people the opportunity to take part in sports taster sessions, have free health checks and get their bikes safety checked. There was also a fun cycle track for children.

The weekend’s cycling fun continued on Sunday wit hthe Cycle Wiltshire Grand Prix.

The elite cycle race, part of the British Cycling National Road Race series, saw more than 120 elite riders from top professional teams taking part. Hundreds of local people turned out to line the route and support some of the best riders in Britain as they competed, including double Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy.

The race, which started and finished in Wilton Market Place, took riders through ten laps on a scenic route throughout the south of the county and the winner was Marcin Bialoblocki.

Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council, said: “This was a wonderful event and I’ve seen so many smiling faces both at the Grand Prix in Wilton and at the Sportive on Saturday.

I’d like to thank all the people who came out to support the cyclists on both days. “It was inspirational to see the elite riders competing in our county cheered on by our local communities.

“This exciting weekend is part of our ongoing legacy work to invigorate the local economy, bring communities together and encourage more people to be active.”