The RideLondon festival of cycling will give amateur, clubs and the world’s elite cyclists four different cycling events to take part in over the weekend of the 3rd / 4th August 2013. The events range fromRideLondon 100 – a 100 mile challenge ride, RideLondon Freecycle – an 8 mile central London route on closed roads for up to 70,000 people including families, RideLondon Grand Prix for Elite Women, Juniors and hand-cyclists the RideLondon Classic which will see the men’s elite take to the roads of London & Surrey on what is expected to become part of the UCI’s official race calendar.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Londoners are cycling in record numbers and helped by a raft of improvements there are now more than half a million journeys made by bike every day. The inspirational performances of British road and track cyclists this summer have done even more to encourage people to get on their bike, as the fantastic demand for RideLondon is showing . This cycling festival will have something for everyone, the lycra-clad professionals, the daily commuter, and families on a fun day out. What’s more, RideLondon is a living legacy of our glorious summer by utilising our wonderful Olympic Park.”
Hugh Brasher from London & Surrey Cycling Partnership, said: “After the incredible achievements of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, particularly the cyclists, we feel that they have naturally generated massive enthusiasm and inspiration for people to participate in this great weekend of cycling. We expected a high demand, but even we were surprised by such a fantastic reaction to the opening of the entry ballot, and we feel this is a great start to one of our primary goals to make this the world’s largest charity fundraising cycle event. Furthermore, the current figures show that over half the registrants have never previously ridden in a cycling sportive, so we are especially pleased that this event seems to have struck a chord with new participants to this type of challenge”.
The ballot for places for RideLondon 100 will shut when a total of 75,000 have applied. People who are unsuccessful in the ballot may still be able to take part by cycling for a charity dear to their heart, as many major charities will have a set number of guaranteed entry places in the RideLondon 100. The charities will then allocate these places to riders on the basis that they will raise an agreed amount of money for the charity. For more information potential participants should visitwww.RideLondon.co.uk
Ben Plowden, Director of Planning TfL Surface Transport said: “The success of Team GB and Paralympic GB in the velodrome has increased the popularity of cycling in London and across the UK. The RideLondon weekend will have an event for everyone, regardless of age or cycling ability. RideLondon FreeCycle on Saturday 3 August will cater for families and new or occasional cyclists, whilst RideLondon 100 the next day will be suited to regular and club cyclists. RideLondon is a fantastic opportunity to try cycling in London and is a true legacy of the London 2012 Games”.
Iain Edmondson, Head of Major Events at London & Partners the Mayor of London’s promotional organisation behind the RideLondon event added: “This milestone shows just how much the public had been inspired by the Games. RideLondon is just one example of how London & Partners are developing plans to ensure the city remains the world’s best big city for major events.”
The two day festival of cycling will start with a mass participation family fun ride for up to 70,000 cyclists of all abilities. The eight-mile loop on closed roads around London landmarks. will provide a unique, safe, relaxed and inclusive atmosphere. The event will be broadcast exclusively by the BBC across all media platforms including TV, radio, internet, mobile and iPlayer.
The following day RideLondon 100 will start from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will be its first sporting event following conversion after the 2012 Games. The event will cover a similar 100 mile route as the Olympic road cycling course through central London via Richmond Park out to the Surrey Hills.
Exact detailed routes for the RideLondon events will be revealed later in the year taking into consideration learnings from the 2012 Games. The finish for all the RideLondon events will be on The Mall, subject to approval.
