A FORMER competitive cyclist fears Thorpe’s pothole-ridden roads will cause an accident when professional bikers race through the town.

Thorpe High Street will host a sprint section of the Women’s Tour bike race.

Some of the world’s top cyclists will race through Tendring on Friday, taking on a route through Thorpe, Kirby, Great Holland and Jaywick before finishing in Clacton.

But a Thorpe resident and keen cyclist fears for the competitors as they ride over the cracked and broken road through the town, dubbing it “an accident waiting to happen”.

Chris Bayless, 70, of Rolph Close in Thorpe, raced competitively as a youngster and has recently helped to organise and marshall races across the country.

He said: “I have to negotiate potholes, deep cracks and the uneven surface, which is a nightmare for me and anyone driving behind me as I swerve my way along the road.

“When I ride along there it is bad enough, but these are professionals who will be sprinting, racing against each other and reaching speeds of more than 35 miles per hour.

“They will be tough to avoid and I’m worried there will be a serious accident.”

Mr Bayless says the council has worked to fix many of the worst potholes, but some severe cracks and craters still remain – creating a major hazard.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: “We are aware of these defects. Night time repairs are currently being scheduled to take place this week to the worst affected areas of the road in line with the Essex Highways maintenance policy.”