A competitive cyclist believes it could take a fatality before “atrocious” road surfaces are fixed.

John Clarke, of Hospital Field, Black Notley, recently qualified in his age group for the GB Duathlon team but claims he is finding it increasingly difficult to train on the county’s roads.

He is also concerned for cyclists taking part in Tour De France, which will see more than 200 competitors speed through the Braintree district on July 7 as they complete stage three of the event.

At a recent Tour De France briefing, organisers admitted road surfaces were inspected before the recent deluge of wet weather.

Essex Highways head of network and safety Liz Burr said they would aim to make repairs in June, if for example, they were currently scheduled for August.