THOUSANDS of people enjoyed the action in Redditch yesterday as part of the first round of the 2017 Tour Series.
The sun was shining as JLT Condor and Drops were the winners at the opening night of one of the UK's most popular cycling races.
Defending champions JLT Condor took the honours in the opening Team Time Trial before following that up with victory in the evening's circuit race.
In between Alice Barnes had led her Drops team to a dominant performance in town centre, winning the race, team prize, Eisberg Sprints Jersey and helping herself to the Brother Fastest Lap along the way.
The men's race was a much tighter and closely fought affair, with the event coming down to the wire.
BIKE Channel Canyon rider Chris Opie just beat Australian Brenton Jones and Spaniard Enrique Sanz, both of whom were making their race debuts.
The victory, Opie's third in the series and first since 2013, helped his team into second place on the night, repeating their runners-up spot from the afternoon's Team Time Trial, leaving them two-points behind JLT Condor.
Opie's final lap effort earnt him the Brother Fastest Lap award, while Team Raleigh GAC's Sebastian Mora pulls on the new-look Wiggle Points Jersey.
The opening women's race of the year went the way of Alice Barnes, with the Drops rider leading home a pair of 2016's Olympic Gold medalists from Rio in Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker in second and third, helping their teams, WNT and Breeze to the same spots overall.
Barnes also won the first ever Brother Fastest Lap award for the women's series, and took the Eisberg Sprints Jersey.
It is thought the event will bring more than half a million pounds to the local economy, with shops and local businesses benefitting from the huge crowds.
Redditch Council leader councillor Bill Hartnett, who pushed for the event to take place, called it a huge success and stressed how important it is for the town while mayor councillor Joe Baker said he was thrilled with how it went.
For the full women's Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series results, click here.
For the full men's Tour Series results, click here.
Action from the race will be shown on ITV4 at 7pm tonight and available on demand via the ITV Hub.
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