As Mayor announces route for 2 day festival of cycling on 3rd & 4th August

Mayor Johnson announced the route for the Prudential RideLondon. There will be no other closed-road event like it that combines the fun and accessible element of a free family ride in central London with the excitement of watching the world’s best professional cyclists race in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic and Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix.

Those two events 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 fact that the way out of and back into the centre 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. Will Sir Bradley Wiggins continue his running streak, will his Olympic team mate Mark Cavendish be back up Box Hill?

Confirmed athlete is double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott, pictured left with Boris. 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, amateur cyclists will also participate in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 – a 100-mile challenge on the same closed roads as the professionals, with the added incentive of raising money for good causes. 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 fesitval 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.

February 8, 2013