It was an early start for the 1,200 cyclists who gathered at Oulton Park for a gruelling 70-mile ride through the highways and byways of Cheshire on Sunday.

Riders arrived for the event before 6am and warmed up in the car park as the sun’s rays broke over the tree line to help the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Mercia off to a glorious start.

Conditions were bright but cool, without much wind, as cyclists embarked on a lap of the famous circuit and headed out into the lanes of Little Budworth for the beginning of the sportive.

Etape Mercia is a sister event to the Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Caledonia, in Scotland, and Marie Curie Cancer Care Etape Pennines, in County Durham, and is classed as an entry-level sportive.

Compared to the mountainous 81 miles of Etape Caledonia and the 78 miles of Etape Pennines, 70 miles on the Cheshire plain may sound like a ride in the park, but this route managed to pack a punch all of its own.

First over the finish line was Simon Froberg from Ranskill, in Nottinghamshire, who clocked a time of 3:07:26.

Simon, who rides with the Dennington Road Club, said: “I took it nice and steady and it was a really enjoyable ride.

“We had lots of people cheering us on as we cycled the route, which was encouraging.

“The route itself was great – not too brutal but still varied enough to make it a challenge.”

The event boasted traffic-free roads, giving cyclists plenty of room to make the most of the course and making it more of an event for the communities it passed through.

Villagers decorated parts of the route and gathered in their pyjamas to cheer on participants, with some residents using it as an excuse for a garden party.

Cyclists were treated to stunning views as the course took in some of Cheshire’s best-known sites, including Beeston Castle, Little Switzerland, Delamere Forest, the Shropshire Union Canal and the Cheshire Ridge.

Sprinters could test their skill in the Scott Sprint, near Little Switzerland, and climbers could give it all they had for the King of the Mountain title, in Norley.

Then Category Five hills like The Yeld, in Kelsall, and Willington Hill, were lying in wait in the final 20 miles of the Etape Mercia, giving the event a real sting in the tail.

Clr Stuart Parker, from Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: “The route was planned for safety and scenery and it delivered on both fronts.

“I’m delighted that there is so much passion for the sport here in Cheshire and the north west.

“This is a huge event for the region, promoting the county and cycling as a sport, as well as raising the profile of a very worthy charity.”

“We were thrilled with the turnout on the day,” said James Robinson, managing director of event organiser IMG Challenger World.

“The Etape Series has built up a great following in other parts of the UK and we were confident that Cheshire’s stunning countryside and the northwest’s enthusiastic cycling community would make for an equally successful event.

“We were delighted to bring the Etape Series here and so glad the public got behind all our participants.

“Many thanks to all the volunteers and the local community for being so on side with a fantastic day, helping to raise money for our charity partner Marie Curie Cancer Care.”

More than 250 riders fundraised for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Jenni Thompson, senior fundraising manager for the charity, said: “We are extremely grateful to all the Team Daffodil riders who raised money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

“All the money raised will help our staff continue providing free end of life care to those with terminal cancer and other life limiting illnesses in their own homes.”

To donate to Marie Curie Cancer Care ring 0845 052 4184.