Spitfire and Tour de France winner join Tour of Britain celebrations

A spitfire flypast and a former Tour de France winner were among the sights on day two of the Tour of Britain as it made its way through Lincolnshire.

The riders set off in Boston and raced through Woodhall Spa, Horncastle, Binbrook, Utterby, Louth, Alford and Wainfleet, before finishing in Skegness.

They covered a total of about 111.9 miles (180.2km) with an elevation of 2864.1ft (873m).

Street parties were held along the route, along with a festival of cycling and various street art helped mark the occasion.

The race began with a neutralised start at the Market Place at about 10:30 BST, where riders travelled through the opening section at a controlled speed before the official racing got under way on Boston Road.

The town hosted a day-long festival of cycling and family entertainment, and also screened live race coverage in the Market Place.

Dale Broughton, leader of Boston Borough Council, said it was a landmark day for the town and for East Lindsey.

"We always do things big in Boston. Hosting the start of the stage... racing through the Wolds and finishing on Skegness seafront will be a day that residents, visitors and businesses will remember."

Cycling enthusiasts Jo Hartley and Pat O'Connell travelled from York to watch the beginning of the race, and were also hoping to catch a glimpse of the end.

Jo said: "I like to pick somewhere I've not been before. So I look at the race and go, 'I don't know that town, lets go and visit it'. I wanted to know what Boston was like, so I chose here."

Stood among the spectators was former Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas.

"Yesterday was really good. It was super exciting to watch," he said. "So yes, we will see what today brings."

About an hour into the race the cyclists headed towards Horncastle. Although they did not ride directly through the town, residents had been preparing in advance to welcome them as they rode nearby.

Horncastle Flower Club had pulled out all the stops by adorning a bicycle with an array of red, white and blue flowers.

Mike Myers, from Myers Bakery, said: "It's fantastic. We're so lucky to have a big national event come round through Horncastle."

Children from Lift Utterby primary school were joined by fellow pupils at Lift North Thoresby primary school to cheer the cyclists on as they sped past, clutching hand-made signs and union jack flags.

They also had a piece of land art etched onto their school field by artists Sand in Your Eye, which celebrated the county's agricultural heritage, as well as seal and hare populations.

Kian, 10, described seeing the bikes, support vehicles and emergency services as "cool but really loud."

Florence, also 10, said: "I was just wowed. I loved it. There were so many bikers."

Robin, 10, said it was "really fun" to be able to watch the race, and added that he enjoyed hearing the sirens go by before the cyclists came past.

"They made us excited for it. It was really fun cheering them for doing their job."

Alford had also been preparing in advance to welcome the riders through the town.

A market was held there throughout the day with a number of stalls and live entertainment. There were also treasure hunts, a decorate your garden competition, and a concert in the evening.

Lynnette Pryke, from Alford Town Council, described it as having a "party atmosphere".

"It is a once-in-a-lifetime event, we don't get things coming through Alford. It's great," she added.

Towards the end of the race, the riders made their way along Wainfleet Road.

The town had decorated shop windows with bunting and bicycles, as well as hanging knitted racing jerseys from the clock tower.

Residents had also tied a welcome banner to the railings at the side of the road.

Leonie Harding, one of the volunteers from the All Saints Church shop, said she had "absolutely loved" decorating for the "marvellous" occasion.

Although the race finished in Skegness, events were held all day for spectators including circus acts, street parties and cycling-themed stalls.

The second stage was brought to a close with a flyover by a Spitfire.

Brian Borrows and his son had been travelling around to see the riders at various points along the route.

He said: "Every junction we've been to, there's been a crowd.

"It will get a lot of people to think, 'oh Lincolnshire is nice, I'll come and visit it'."

The Sargeant family said it had been "fantastic" to watch parts of both the first and second stage, and they were looking forward to seeing some of the third stage on Friday.

"The helicopter shot [on the TV coverage] shows what a beautiful county Lincolnshire is," they added.

Belgian cyclist Tim Merlier, who rides for Soudal Quick-Step, won the second stage of the race. However, stage one champion and British rider Lewis Askey remains in overall lead.

The third stage of the race will get under way in Hull on Friday, at about 10:30 BST.

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