AN ELITE cycling race will take place in the region this weekend.

The annual Northumbrian Water Tour of the Reservoir road race will be held around Derwent Reservoir, which spans the County Durham-Northumberland border, on Saturday and Sunday.

About 130 of the country’s best cyclists are due to take part, including 2013 World Track Cycling champion Simon Yates.

The race’s first stage, on Saturday, is a 75-mile uphill circuit starting in Blanchland at 11.50am.

Riders who qualify for Sunday’s second stage will complete eight laps, or 104 miles, of Derwent Reservoir, reaching speeds of up to 60mph.

Stage two starts at 10.20am, again at Blanchland. The first riders are expected to cross the finish line on the reservoir dam at about 2.30pm.

Event organiser Mike Hodgson, from Tyne Valley Cycle Club, said: “The event is billed locally as a mini Tour de France and always attracts the best cyclists in Britain.

“The new race route offers some fantastic vantage points and it’s great fun to watch.”

The race is expected to bring a £100,000 boost to the region’s economy.

Rolling road closures will be in place from 10am to 3pm each day, including on a short stretch of the A68, and motorists are advised to allow extra time for their journeys.