As part of the legacy of the 2012 London Olympics, the London cycling event “Prudential RideLondon” today held the “London-Surrey 100” race. The amateur category started at 6 a.m., followed by the professional category in the afternoon. The 100-mile route began at the “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park” in east London, looped around Surrey in southeast England, and finished on The Mall boulevard in front of Buckingham Palace. London Mayor Boris Johnson led the “Team Boris” squad of 35 riders, also taking part to raise money for charity.
Around 10 a.m. today, the long-waiting crowd at the finish line welcomed the amateur category champion. After the race, Wladimiro D’Ascenzo, a 42-year-old athlete from Italy, joked, “Can I go see the Queen now?” He said he hadn’t expected so many participants and praised the well-organized event. Lauren Whitmore, a 29-year-old female rider who was the first woman to cross the finish line, said, “It felt amazing to ride on a traffic-free route. I had a great day today, and I’ll definitely be back next year!”
The first professional rider to cross the finish line was 21-year-old French cyclist Arnaud Demare. As he crossed the line, he pointed both hands to the sky in celebration. After the race, he said, “I’m really happy to have taken part. My teammates worked brilliantly to help me win.” He added that this victory, one year after the Olympics, meant a lot to him, especially as his coach had passed away a month ago, making the race even more significant.
After eight hours of cycling, Boris Johnson crossed the finish line with help from others. He said the 100-mile ride was impressive and that he had never imagined Surrey’s scenery to be so beautiful. “I won’t say it was easy, but when we ‘conquered’ Leith Hill (the second highest peak in southeast England, located in Surrey), I knew victory wasn’t far off.” He also said that he was certain the cycling event would be held again next year to encourage more people to care about environmental protection and cycle safely.
In total, 15,883 amateur riders and 150 professional riders completed the 100-mile ride today, while the events on the 3rd and 4th saw a total of 65,000 participants. “Prudential RideLondon” has become the largest cycling event ever held in the UK.