OLYMPIC cyclists are taking part in a scenic 300-mile bike race in the North-East this weekend.

Fifteen men and women from the Olympic GB track team will compete around County Durham’s Derwent reservoir, near Consett, on Saturday and Sunday.

But it is possible that none of them will win as they use the races for endurance training and may be beaten by road race specialists.

Almost 250 of the country’s top riders will compete in separate races for men and women in the British Cycling Federation’s Elite Series event.

Racers in the men’s Northumbrian Water Tour of the Reservoir include multi Olympic and world champion Ed Clancy MBE and Yanto Barker, winner of the eight-race Elite Series last year.

Team Wiggins will also be competing, although Sir Bradley will not, and the field includes Andrew Tennant, a member of the GB track team, who won at Derwent Resevoir in 2010.

London 2012 team pursuit gold medal winner Steve Burke, 27, from Colne, in Lancashire, who rode at Derwent, in 2011 and 2014, said: “The course over the next few days will be quite challenging with undulating terrain.

“I am very much looking forward to it and I will give it my best for the team.

“We have a good chance of coming up with a good result.”

Evan Oliphant, Derwent winner in 2013, will also be taking part.

Among the women’s field will be Joanna Rowsell, Olympic team pursuit champion, Elinor Barker 2014 silver Commonwealth Games medallist and last year’s Derwent winner Nicole Juniper.

Three times track World Champion Dani King will also ride in her first Elite race since a training accident late last year when she suffered a punctured lung and several broken ribs and it was feared she might never ride again.

Race organiser Mike Hodgson, said: "There is no doubt that these races around the reservoir are the event in the national calendar that everyone wants to take part in.

“International TV coverage really puts County Durham on the map and the economic tourism benefit is valued at £500,000 and has some 550 people staying in accommodation in the region."

RACE SCHEDULE

Saturday

MEN

The 140-strong field will leave race headquarters, Blanchland Sports Hall and Club, at 1pm under police escort and the race will start at Carricks corner at the western end of Derwent reservoir. They will complete eight laps of the ‘round the reservoir’ circuit covering 96 miles with the winner crossing the finishing line on the Derwent dam at about 4pm. There will be no complete road closures with just a temporary ‘rolling’ closure as the racers pass by.

WOMEN

The 105-strong field will leave race headquarters at 8.50am under police escort and the race will start at Carricks corner. They will ride a ten lap, 35-mile road circuit, crossing the reservoir dam each time in the ‘Alexandra Kermesse’ race named after Princess Alexandra who officially opened the reservoir in 1967. The first riders are expected to cross the finish line around 11am. There will be a road closure for this event from 8.30am until 11.30 of the B6278 from Edmundbyers to the Muggleswick junction.

Sunday

MEN

Riders will leave Blanchland under police escort at 1.30pm and, starting the race at Carricks corner, will complete two laps of the ‘round the reservoir’ circuit followed by three laps of the Horseshoe Hill Crawleyside B6278 course and end with two more laps round the reservoir to finish on the dam wall after 100 miles at around 4pm. There will be no complete road closures with just a temporary ‘rolling’ closure as the racers pass by.

WOMEN

Riders will leave Blanchland under police escort at 8.50 and, starting racing at Carricks corner, will tackle four laps of the ‘round the reservoir’ circuit finishing after 56 miles at around 11.15am. There will be no complete road closures with just a temporary ‘rolling’ closure as the racers pass by.