A FESTIVAL of cycling will return to the county for its 10th anniversary.

RideLondon-Essex will return in May following the new one-year agreement with Essex County Council.

The iconic RideLondon-Essex 100 mile challenge will be back as well as the RideLondon-Essex 60 and 30-mile inspiration rides and the ever-popular RideLondon FreeCycle, where cyclists can cycle on traffic-free roads in central London.

The event was established by the Mayor of London in 2013 as an Olympic legacy event from the 2012 London Games.

More than 22,000 people took part in the RideLondon-Essex rides this year and organisers will be working with Essex businesses to improve on last years success.

Lee Scott, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Maintenance and Sustainable Transport, said: “RideLondon-Essex 2022 was a successful inaugural event, but we want to make RideLondon-Essex 2023 even better.

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“The RideLondon route is undergoing a process of review and we will be asking residents and businesses for their input to build upon the spirit and success of this year’s event.”

The routes for next year's event will be announced once the review is complete.

The festival will return to Essex on Sunday May 28.