GALLERY: Cyclists get a taste of Le Tour at Ely festival

Tour de France fever swept through Ely on Sunday as hundreds of people turned out to enjoy the Velo Festival.

Organised by Cambridgeshire County Council to celebrate a stage of Le Tour passing through the county on July 7, the Velo Festival saw a mini velodrome erected in Ely’s Market Place.

Visitors were able to take up the challenge of speeding around the specially built cycle track.

And the fun didn’t stop there as the Brompton challenge tasked cyclists with assembling, racing a lap and collapsing down a Brompton bike in as quick a time as possible.

There was also be a display by the March Vintage and Veteran Cycle Club which saw many people try their hand at riding at penny farthing.

Repair specialist Dr Bike was also on hand to provide tips and advice on bike maintenance.

A council spokesman said: “It is a great privilege to be hosting the start of Stage 3 of the biggest annual sporting event in the world and it is inspiring to see how many people are getting involved in the run up to the race coming to Cambridgeshire.”

For full details about the Tour de France route in Cambridgeshire, go to www.letourcambridge.com.