The Mayor of Felixstowe has hailed the Tour of Britain as a 'success' that could be 'huge' in promoting the town and the surrounding area.
Seamus Bennett said the decision to start and end stage 5 of the Tour on the town's seafront would 'really put Felixstowe on the map' and help to bring people into the town.
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He spoke after a crowd of approximately 1,000-strong cheered, rang bells and banged on advertising hoardings as the cyclists crossed the finish line close to the leisure centre in Sea Road on Thursday afternoon following an exhausting trip around the county in high temperatures.
The 200km race was won by Belgian cyclist Wout Van Aert for Team Jumbo-Visma, with Britain's Ethan Vernon in second place and the Netherlands' Danny Van Poppel in third.
The 100 cyclists completed the course in around 4 hours 20 minutes, taking in villages and towns along the way, including Ipswich, Hadleigh, Needham Market, Stowmarket, Debenham, Framlingham, Leiston, Snape and Woodbridge.
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Mr Bennett compared the scenes in Sea Road to the famous Parisian avenue the Champs Elysses, where cyclists cross the finish line at the end of the Tour de France, which is considered to be the world's most prestigious cycling event.
He added: "It was amazing to see Sea Road like the Champs Elysses. It was almost a surreal experience and it has shown that we can host events like this in the town and the district."
He said he had spoken to the event organisers, who were pleased with how Felixstowe had hosted the race and there was the possibility of hosting the event again in the future.
"There is interest in our district and I am sure the town council would support trying to bring the Tour back here again in the not too distant future," Mr Bennett added.
He had spoken to visitors from Norwich and Wales who had come to the town for the Tour event.
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"I think there is an investment to be made in an event. In terms of promoting the area and the town, it is huge," he added.
Kate Cain, manager of Felixstowe Business Improvement District (BID), which represents businesses in the town, was also positive about the event.
She said: "It has been a great success for Felixstowe on top of the Love Felixstowe Festival.
"It has been amazing for local businesses to get involved. There were lots of people down there today and it was a great atmosphere. The weather has also really helped.
"I think people will see what we have to offer and come back to visit us."
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