ALMOST 100 people have taken part in a gruelling cycle ride.

The 70-mile ride on Sunday was the second event out of four in the annual Tourist Trial event.

The route took cyclists to the Cleveland Hills, including a testing climb up Clay Bank.

The Tourist Trial features four races, which all start from Darlington's Dolphin Centre. The first was a 50-mile ride in June.

The next event is on August 7 -an 85-mile ride called the Castles Ride.

The last is the 100-mile Hell of the North ride. All the races are popular, and the Hell of the North attracts people from across England.

A Darlington Borough Council spokeswoman said: "Ninety-eight people of all ages and abilities took part on Sunday and it was a great day, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves."