RideLondon Cyclists Take Over Capital's Roads

Written By Unknown on Senin, 05 Agustus 2013 | 00.35

More than 50,000 cyclists have been taking to the roads around London and Surrey as part of an event being billed as the UK's largest festival of cycling.

The Prudential RideLondon weekend is featuring four separate events designed to appeal to riders of all ages and abilities in the mass participation event.

But the event has caused anger among some motorists who feel that the event has had too much impact on London's congested road network.

Hundreds of roads were due to be closed across the capital for at least 12 hours with thousands of motorists being forced to make extensive detours or abandon their plans to travel.

London mayor Boris Johnson was among thousands taking part in a 100-mile road race which started at the Olympic Park and headed out to Forest Green in Surrey before heading back into the centre through southwest London.

There was disappointment for Olympic gold medal winning cyclist Joanna Rowsell who said she was "gutted" after breaking her collar bone during one of the races.

Rowsell, who won gold in the team pursuit during last year's Games, was competing in the women's criterium race in and around St James's Park on Saturday night when she was involved in a pile-up.

Writing on Twitter, she said: "Well this is far from ideal. In hospital with a broken collar bone. Thank you for all the messages. I will bounce back!"

She added this morning: "Absolutely gutted to be missing the @RideLondon 100 today for @actionmedres. Massive good luck to everyone riding. Will be an amazing day."

The Grand Prix event, which saw competitors race a circuit in and around the central London park, was won by Rowsell's teammate Laura Trott, who said afterwards: "This feels like my event, so I felt I had to win. I'm so glad I did."

The Grand Prix also saw a contest between the world's best junior cyclists while the capital's Paralympic legacy was celebrated with a handcycle race.

Rugby World Cup winner Matt Dawson, two-time Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell, former Olympic champion sprint hurdler Sally Gunnell and actor Gary Kemp were among the famous faces taking part.

The event will finish on The Mall shortly before 150 professional cyclists race in the inaugural Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on a similar route.

Organisers hope the two-day festival will boost the number of active cyclists in the UK, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to London and Surrey, and raise large amounts of money for charity.

The capital's motorists remained unimpressed however, with many taking to Facebook and Twitter to express their anger at the event's planning.

Although the event was billed in advance, both in local media and on display signs, many felt that not enough was done to help residents and road users avoid the problems that arose from the closures.

Hilary Irving wasa among those who wrote on the LBC Facebook page: "Two Sundays in a row the people of Wapping have been cut off and unable to drive out. Not great planning."

Silvia Denecke McGrath wrote: "Not a thought for all the people who have to work in essential services like hospitals!

"I have to commute in somehow from Bucks with most of the roads in London shut the entire weekend!

"Can't even use the Tube as I start work so early, never mind that the metropolitan have no services this weekend.

"But no, the whole of London has to come to a standstill for a bunch of cyclists who don't pay road tax."

Luke Bosdet, a spokesman for the AA, said: "You can't fault the organisers over whether there was plenty of notice given, but you are always going to get teething problems.

"It was the first event and there will be people feeding back into whether the event was too disruptive, that they will have to take on board."

During the event, a cyclist not involved in the race was involved in a collision with a steward in Roehampton. Police said the steward suffered only minor injuries but the cyclist had to be airlifted to hospital suffering from "serious injuries".


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