MORE than 100 members of a national Cycling club rolled into town for an awards bash and a ride around the countryside.

The Cyclists’ Touring Club (CTC) chose the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy as the venue for their AGM and helped the Wessex branch celebrate its centenary year.

Local riders welcomed their fellow enthusiasts at Weymouth train station to escort some of them across the Rodwell Trail to the event.

Celebrated riders gave speeches at the academy before presenting the awards and enjoying dinner.

The next day the Wessex Club gave their visitors a taste of the area by offering up rides around Portland and to Abbotsbury and having lunch at Upwey Wishing Well.

Ken Reed, a member of both the Wessex and West Dorset cyclist touring clubs, said the event gave them the chance to showcase local rides .

He said: “It was a great success with the number of people coming here and many of them are staying for a longer visit.

“Around 30 to 40 cycled across the Rodwell Trail and really enjoyed it as it’s exceptional as an urban trail that no one else has got.”

The three rides on Sunday included a mountain bike route, a family ride and a fast group ride.

Mr Reed said: “Around 50 people joined us for the rides to Abbotsbury and Burton Bradstock with many coming back through Martinstown.

“The event brought a lot of people into Weymouth and Portland.”

During the evening celebrations, Phillip Darnton, from Cycling England and Magnus Backstedt, the UK Youth Professional Cycling Team Principal, gave speeches on the future of the sport.

David Cox, chairman of the CTC council, said: “I’d like to thank both Ken Reed and Anne Neale along with their team from CTC Wessex, who worked so hard to help make the weekend a great success.

“Thank you also to everyone who nominated members for Volunteer Achievement Award.

“As always, presentation of these awards affirmed what’s great about CTC.”

Borough and county councillor Howard Legg was asked to attend as a ‘champion’ for cycle routes in the borough.

He said: “This is the first time it’s been held here and I thought it was fantastic to be timed when we’ve got such an expansion of the cycling network here.

“It’s just before the Olympics and cycling is an Olympic sport and although I love Sailing it’s nice to have something that’s not sailing.”