World Class Cycling Through Wimbledon
Mayor announces route for two-day cycling festival on August 3 and 4
Thousands of cyclists, including the best in the world, will stream through Wimbledon this summer in a special closed-road event.
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic and Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 take in some of the routes of the Olympic road races last Summer such as Richmond Park and Box Hill, although there are key differences - including the route through Wimbledon and the fact that the way out of and back into the centre of London is a loop, rather than along the same roads.
Currently there is much speculation as to the identity of the elite cyclists that will enter the Classic event. Will Sir Bradley Wiggins continue his running streak, will his Olympic team mate Mark Cavendish be back up Box Hill?
Both races will
arrive in Merton on the return leg from the Surrey Hills, after cyclists have already travelled from the Olympic stadium, out to Surrey before heading back to the finish line at the Mall via Raynes Park and the last incline of the race, up Wimbledon Hill towards Wimbledon Common.
Confirmed as one of the 150 or so elite participants taking part in the Classic event on Sunday August 4 is
double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott, pictured left with Boris Johnson.
She has been appointed Prudential RideLondon ambassador, and said: "It's exciting to think that in less than six months’ time Prudential RideLondon will have started and the streets of London and Surrey will be filled with over 70,000 cyclists taking part in the two-day festival. Prudential RideLondon has something for everyone and I hope it encourages more people to get on their bikes and start cycling."
Taking a cue from the London Marathon, more than 20,000 amateur cyclists will also participate in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 earlier on the same day – a 100-mile challenge on the same closed roads as the professionals, with the added incentive of raising money for good causes.
Merton Cabinet Member for Community and Culture, Councillor Nick Draper said: "Not only is it great to be part of an Olympic legacy event, but the race will come through the borough every year and be a permanant fixture in the London and Merton sporting calendar and at no extra cost to the council."
To capture it all, the best action will be broadcast live on TV in the UK and internationally, to be seen by an audience of millions.
The two-day festival will form part of the Mayor and TfL's cycling programme. This includes a cycle-hire scheme and network of cycle superhighways across London, providing easy and secure cycle parking and wayfinding and investment in cycling in outer London via the Biking Boroughs programme, as well as working with London Boroughs to deliver child and adult cycling training courses.
Up to 70,000 people are expected to join the 'Freecycle' event around an 8-mile route in the centre of the capital on Saturday August 3, which will be followed by a Grand Prix event around St James's Park, showcasing the best junior, female and paralympic cyclists. Full details of the two-day event on the Prudential RideLondon website.
February 8, 2013