Cyclists finish stage beneath Angel of the North on the Tour of Britain's return to the North East

• Video report by Tom Barton

The Tour of Britain has returned to the North East after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic.

Stage six of the event got underway in Carlisle on Friday morning at 10:30am. Riders then entered Northumberland just after 1pm when they passed through the market town of Alston, roared on by spectators who lined the roadside.

The route then headed east through the North Pennines and down towards the finish line beneath the Angel of the North in Gateshead.

Belgian racer Wout van Aert won the race, out-sprinting Julian Alaphilippe and Britain's Ethan Hayter in a close and exciting finish.

But Hayter, who races for INEOS Grenadiers, still leads the tour by four seconds and wears the blue jersey going into the final two stages in Scotland.

Stage Six is the event's second-longest leg, close behind the 210km stretch between Aberaeron and Llandudno in Wales.

Passing through the North Pennines, it is also among the most demanding stages. As part of one of three King of the Mountains climbs, the riders will reach an elevation of 627m at the top of the Killhope Cross mountain pass.

Before setting off from Carlisle on Friday morning, the cyclists had passed through much of Cornwall, Devon, Wales and the North West.

After stage six ends in Gateshead, the riders will complete two stages in Scotland - finishing the week-long event on Aberdeen Esplanade.

The Tour of Britain began started on Sunday 5 in Penzance, Cornwall, and ends on Sunday 12 September.

Fans can watch the race unfold either on ITV4 or at the roadside.

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