SIR Bradley Wiggins hailed Cumbria's "brilliant" fightback from the floods as the Tour of Britain pedalled a multi-million pound boost to Cumbria's economy.

Britain's most decorated Olympian was among the all-star lineup which came to the county yesterday for the second stage of this year's event.

Much of the 117-mile Cumbria stage, which started in Carlisle and took in the Lake District before ending in Kendal, passed through flood-affected communities which were devastated during Storm Desmond.

But the damage caused in December did nothing to deter the spirits of Cumbrians who've worked tirelessly for months to make sure the gruelling route was ready for the likes of Wiggins and fellow cycling star Mark Cavendish.

They could see their hard work pay off as thousands of people lined the route to cheer on the riders.

Speaking before the race started at the Yesss Electrical branch in Carlisle, one of the sponsors of Team Wiggins, Sir Bradley paid tribute to Cumbria's efforts in fighting back.

After taking the time to sign a series of autographs for adoring fans, he told the News & Star : "It's brilliant that we can come here and hopefully take people's minds off the floods for a couple of minutes if they see us."

He added: "Some of those people are still out of their homes. Everyone can remember Christmas. My own area and my own house was affected by flooding.

"It was incredibly sad to see a place like Carlisle and most of it under water. But you see the sense of community and how people rallied together, how they're still rallying together. We're going past a lot of the affected areas.

"There are still skips on the road, people are still recovering. Still people haven't got back into their homes so our thoughts still go out to those people because that's people's homes and livelihoods which have all been affected."

The scenes were striking as the cyclists a made through those areas, including Warwick Road in Carlisle.

A group of school children from Brook Street Primary School - on thier first day after the summer - didn't know what to expect as they lined up on the side of the road on the bridge over the River Petteril.

Senior teaching assistant Diane Mellor said: "It's an exciting way to start an exciting new year."

Keith Ellison, 58, of Broadoaks Grange, off Eastern Way, was pleased the tour had been brought back to the city.

"It's a big deal. There's still a long way to go with the floods and this will just bring it back to the front again.

"People will see there's more to Cumbria than the just the Lake District."

Meanwhile, former Tour de France winner Wiggins also spoke about his memories of competing in Cumbria during previous Tours.

"Last time we were here it was raining at the start, we've started here quite a few times I think and finished here as well so it's always a regular on the Tour of Britain," he added.

"People are really enthusiastic here for cycling and we always get a good reception at the start and I don't expect today to be any different.

"This is probably the toughest stage on the race, everyone's touting is as that coming into Ambleside, Windermere, up to The Struggle and finishing in Kendal. This is going to be a really crucial day for everyone."

Sadly, it looks like it could be the last time the Olympian takes to the saddle in Cumbria.

Asked whether this would be his last Tour of Britain, he said: "Maybe not as a rider but certainly in some capacity I'd love to be back. The team will continue so my name will be there."

After leaving Carlisle the riders made their way along to Armathwaite and Kirkoswald before arriving in a bustling Penrith town centre.

From there they went along the shores of Ullswater lake, to a sprint in Hesket Newmarket, along to another sprint in Cockermouth and along to Keswick through Whinlatter Pass.

After going through Keswick they headed south along the A591 towards Grasmere and Ambleside before being pushed to their limits on "The Struggle", north of Windermere. They finished on Beast Banks in Kendal.

Millions of pounds are expected to have been pumped into the Cumbrian economy because of the Tour's presence in the county, as people travelled far and wide to catch a glimpse of the event which is billed as Britain's biggest free sporting competition.

Hoteliers and pubs along the route have reported an increase in trade directly linked to the Tour of Britain.

The stage was won by Julien Vermote, of the Etixx - Quick-Step team who beat England's Steve Cummings into first place.