London’s annual cycling festival, RideLondon, has cemented its place in the capital’s summer calendar despite being in just its second year.
A riveting women’s race on Friday night at St. James’s Park kicked off the action, won by Italian, Georgia Bronzini who beat Olympic road race champion Marianne Vos to the line.
On Saturday, an estimated 60,000 people arrived to ride on closed roads past some of London’s most iconic sites, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament and Tower Bridge.
Meanwhile, Guinness World Records were on hand to confirm that a 639-strong “bicycle bell orchestra” had broken the record for the largest bike-bell ensemble.
Laura Trott leads RideLondon bike bell-ringers in setting Guinness World Record: http://t.co/bZ9HJc7Edm #cyclingpic.twitter.com/ha8lbmInhA
— road.cc (@roadcc) August 9, 2014
On Sunday, the RideLondon 100, a 100 mile ride through surrey, undertaken by 20,700 riders, may have taken place during a biblical deluge, but the rain didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits, though it did engender a course change to take out two of the largest hills. During the course one couple even stopped and got married before continuing their ride onto the Mall.
It’s a bit wet in Kingston, take care everyone! #RideLondonpic.twitter.com/VpEtwAfII0
— Ben Sedgwick (@bssedgwick) August 10, 2014
This @AussieLarrypic does the rain some justice.. ruined one of his lenses too! #RideLondonpic.twitter.com/yZX7e0SaJN
— Andy (@AnalogueAndy) August 11, 2014
Take my (rain) hat off to everyone who rode in this rain! #ridelondon#surreyhillspic.twitter.com/5JuOCwyGKF
— adele mitchell (@adelemitchell) August 10, 2014
By the afternoon, sporadic sunshine had dried up some of the puddles, and the elite men’s road race, the London-Surrey Classic, saw international cycling teams competing along many of the same roads as the RideLondon 100 riders had recently passed through. Bradley Wiggins was out to support British sprinter Ben Swift who came second to another Brit, Adam Blythe.
What a weekend @rideLondon! Adam Blythe pips Ben Swift to victory in the men’s Classic! http://t.co/evXnXjkRm0 pic.twitter.com/Zg4TUGBds2
— Team GB (@TeamGB) August 10, 2014
Leave a Comment