Share

Racing

RideLondon 2014: five observations

London welcomes cycling's elite while thousands brave weather on reduced sportive

Weather reports had looked ominous all week, and the arrival of the after-effects of Hurricane Bertha ensured a soaking for all RideLondon-Surrey 100 participants.

Organisers were forced to cut the route short, missing out many of the main climbs as standing surface water and road debris caused by the wind and rain made for treacherous descents.

Sportive riders battle the elements as they pass Big Ben – the weather meant the sportive had to be re-routed and missed out the main climbs (pic: Thomas Lovelock/Prudential RideLondon)

Though disappointing to those who had hoped to pit themselves against the likes of Leith Hill and Box Hill, to have more than 21,000 tackle the descents could have had serious consequences.

Nevertheless, with 20,709 riders crossing under the finishing banner of The Mall, the event proved – for the most part – another success.

On a more sombre note, though, the event did also tragically report its first fatality – Kris Cook, 36, from Woking, who suffered a cardiac arrest on Newlands Corner.

Cook was riding in support of Woking Hospice and those wishing to donate in his memory can head to https://www.justgiving.com/Kris-Cook

Share

Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production