VIDEO: Olympic Gold Medallist Bradley Wiggins rides through Barnoldswick and the Ribble Valley
The Tour de France winner and Olympic Time Trial Gold Medallist chimed it at around 7-10am as the first riders set off on a 160km route taking in Pendle, the Ribble Valley and Trough of Bowland.
Wiggins then set off himself at around 7-50am on a pleasant Sunday summer morning before hundreds more riders embarked on a 100km route, waved away by the Mayor of Pendle, Coun. Asjad Mahmood and his wife, with rider numbers close to the 2,000 limit.
Later, crowds descended on Victory Park in their thousands for the cycle show in the afternoon despite the weather taking a turn for the worse.