DURHAM HALFORDS TOUR SERIES

Hundreds turned out for this cycling tour event as the riders took to a slippery, cobbly and certainly very undulating course on the leafy avenues of west central Durham. For what the 1.4 km course lacked in length, it made up for in terms of terrifying hairpins and precipitous slopes; and all in an initially very compact field. This made for an exciting spectacle at the low point of the course where Crossgate and South Street converge (pictured below) acting as the honeypot for crashes and collisions. You certainly get a real sense of how much balls these athletes have!  

The cyclists hurtling down Crossgate at frightening speed before turning virtually at right angles and ascending the agonisingly steep South Street. 

From here the competitors tackled the cobbled South Street. In one of the most affluent areas in the city given the outstanding and unhindered views of the cathedral, the cyclists could perhaps admire the scene to their left as they climbed - or perhaps not!

The cyclists then veered right into the realm of Durham School which marked the completion of one lap. With laps completed in a matter of minutes, and once the field had spread considerably, this made for a steady stream of cyclists which kept the crowd involved. The event MCs did a good job of enthusing the crowd for the hour that the race was run, occasionally providing the odd humorous moment which included confusing the race leader as to how many laps he had left to ride. The eventual winner, Kristian House, did not seem pleased when the bell didn't ring for what he thought was his final lap.   

The British-born Texan, Kristian House (pictured above left and right) ended up winning the event by the proverbial country mile. The chasing pack were a good half a minute short of the pace. And of course, with cycling being a team event also, the Endura team earned the accolade for the best collective effort. This was a fun event in a lovely setting; and all right on my doorstep.