'A historic moment' - Crowds gather as Boston plays host to Lloyds Tour of Britain Men (IN PICTURES)

The Market Place provided the starting point for Stage Two of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men cycle race.

Organisers British Cycling describe the Tour of Britain – which comprises a men’s and women's event – as ‘the largest free-to-attend sporting spectacle in the UK’.

It also enjoys a worldwide audience through TV coverage.

After setting off at about 10.30am, the elite field of competitors raced across 180.2km of Lincolnshire countryside to the finish line in Skegness.

Between them, they represented four continents, with riders hailing from: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Columbia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the USA.

Ahead of Stage Two, The Standard spoke with Brody McDonald, from the US, who was racing for the Modern Adventure Cycling Team. The Californian-born rider would go on to finish 10th out of the 108-strong field.

Familiar with Boston, Massachusetts, he said he had not realised there was a Boston in the UK.

“It seems like a nice place,” he said. “Everything here is so much older than in the United States. It’s interesting to look around and see buildings that predate the country I’m from by hundreds of years.”

The spectacle was attended by people of all ages, from babies upwards.

For some pupils at Boston’s Haven High Academy it was how they spent the start of their first day back after the summer holidays.

Speaking to The Standard after the race got under way, Ralf, 15, said: “It was brilliant. I have never seen anything like it before.”

Fellow Year 11 pupil Allan, 15, said: “I thought it was fantastic. It was a nice experience to see the athletes here.”

Cohen, 15, also from Year 11, said it was ‘really good’, saying it had brought to Boston the kind of event residents do not normally get to see.

“It’s a great thing for the town,” he said.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporter Service, Leader of Boston Borough Council Coun Dale Broughton said: “It’s a historic moment for the town, having a national sporting event staged here in Boston with world-class cyclists.

“Bear in mind as well that there are several cyclists racing today who’ve won stages in the Tour de France this year.”

Coun Broughton went on to say that he said the event would help to support local businesses in the area and was hopeful the positive impact would be felt ‘for weeks and months’.

He added: “Hopefully, this will be the catalyst for more sporting events coming to Boston, knowing that we can host such a prestigious event like this.”