MORE than 200 leading top professional cyclists descended on a former steel town to race as the highlight of a huge and historic street party at the weekend.

The party was organised to celebrate the revival of Consett from the loss of its steelworks in 1980, marking 25 years after the formation of Project Genesis Trust - which was charged with reviving the town's fortunes.

On Saturday cyclists competed in the established route of the Tour of the Reservoir, while on Sunday the town centre was turned over to a free festival, including special shows, displays, and fun events, as the Tour of the Reservoir started and finished in the Front Street.

David Gray, a trustee of Project Genesis said: "The weather was kind to us and the event was a resounding success.

"The women's race got away as scheduled on Sunday morning. They found the 69-mile route quite tough and quite a few pulled out.

"The winners were cheered enthusiastically back into heart of the town, by then buzzing with the festival."

The men's race, over 110 miles long, was flagged off at lunchtime.

Leah Dixon and James Shaw both won the second stage to complete overall victories.